ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book argues that societies seek out and implement strategies for survival and adaptation. It focuses on two groups of small states: the relatively successful, more advanced states of Western Europe—Finland, Denmark, Austria, Sweden, and Norway—and five states from the former East bloc—Hungary, Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. The book is based on modeled data from a large collection of cases, the other contributors either compare a few cases or look more intensively at a single small state. It deals with monetary institutions show clearly that a strong European Monetary Union in which all European states bind their currencies irrevocably either to a basket of currencies or to a central currency is not a likely prospect in Europe. The book also focuses on the continuing usefulness and transferability of the neocorporatist institutions that are typically associated with small states.
