Global economic integration : opportunities and challenges : a summary of the Bank's 2000 Symposium

The increasingly integrated global economy presents policymakers with both opportunities and challenges. Global economic integration is widely thought to improve the allocation of resources, promote technology transfer, and enhance living standards. But, at the same time, economic integration has frequently been blamed for growing trade imbalances, increased financial market volatility, and less effective domestic macroeconomic policies.> To better understand how policymakers can maximize the benefits from globalization while recognizing the challenges, the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City sponsored a symposium entitled, "Global Economic Integration: Opportunities and Challenges," held at Jackson Hole, Wyoming, on August 24-26, 2000. The symposium brought together a distinguished group of central bankers, academics, and financial market experts.> Kahn highlights the principal issues raised at the symposium and summarizes the papers presented and the commentary. Symposium participants agreed that globalization has produced net economic benefits for national economies, and they outlined a variety of approaches for addressing the associated challenges.