Globalisation

‘Globalisation’ has become fashionable. Enthusiasts speak of the borderless world, no more national frontiers, the whole world one market. More sober versions refer to the fact that, with liberalisation of markets and the information revolution, the ease and speed with which goods and services, and capital, move from one country to another has greatly increased. But there is much confusion in the literature about the causes and effects of this development. This paper attempts to sort out both, especially in relation to short and long-term capital movements. The concluding section addresses some of the hostile reactions that ‘globalisation’ has provoked.