ABSTRACT
Germany and Britain are two medium-sized powers in global politics and the global
political economy. They have common membership of a number of international
organisations, most notably the European Union. Should we therefore expect policy
convergence or policy exchange between the two states? This contribution aims to
offer some answers to that question. It does so in three parts. First, it explores what
the real-world pressures are that may lead to policy convergence. What are the under-
lying forces at work? Why is it that policy convergence may take place? Secondly,
what analytical or theoretical tools can help shed light on the pressures for conver-
gence? Three forces for convergence are explored: globalisation, Europeanisation
and the preferred framework deployed in what follows, namely policy transfer.
Thirdly, in developing an institutionalist exposition of policy transfer it explores the
obstacles and opportunities for transfer between Germany and Britain within a Euro-
pean and global context.
