The world economy at the crossroads

The dramatic changes presently taking place in the world economic environment involve considerable risks, but at the same time offer significant opportunities which should not be ignored. Some of the major challenges the world economy is facing in the 1990s are discussed in the following article.     

The world economy moves at a gentler pace

1989 was another highly satisfactory year for the industrialised countries, with real gross national product growing by an average of around 31/2%. Performance differed from one country to another, however, with the USA beginning to lag behind. Is this the harbinger of a general slowdown in growth?     

World economy still ailing

1982 was yet another year of international economic disappointment. The frequently forecast gradual recovery of demand and production during the course of the second half of the year did not materialise. In fact, Western Europe once again experienced another pronounced downturn. However, at least in the majority of leading industrialised countries, the conditions for growth have definitely improved. Will 1983 bear witness to the turning of the recessionary tide?     

The petrodollars and the world economy

The quadrupling of the oil price by the OPEC in 1973 was a poignant event in the post-war development of the world economy. Which measures and mechanisms conduced to the international income redistribution necessitated by the hoisting of the oil prices in the past five years?     

Weaker world economy

Last year's marked slowdown in the world economy, which followed a phase of very rapid expansion, has led to fears that a recessionary climate may be at hand. A key role in this is played by economic trends in the USA. How reliant is the rest of the world on the tractive power of what has up to now been the engine of economic growth? is the drop in oil prices sufficient to stabilise economic activity?     

The core and periphery of the world economy

This paper reviews three models of foreign trade, including the Heckscher-Ohlin model, the new trade theory based on increasing returns to scale, and the model of economic geography and trade with agglomeration effects. It demonstrates that gravity models perform relatively well for differentiated and non-differentiated products. This result supports Hummels' and Levinsohn's () critique of the new theory foundation of the gravity equation. Furthermore, the bilateral trade relations of peripheral countries are often identified as outliers. This pattern of outliers is consistent with the model of geography and trade.     

The role of multinationals in the world economy

Based on trends observed during the ’sixties, a number of forecasts have projected an increasing domination by multinational corporations of the Western economies. By confronting them with the available empirical evidence of the ’seventies, Dr. Winiecki reveals some striking discrepancies between these forecasts and the realities of the past decade, the interpretation of which may contribute to a more realistic assessment of the future role of multinational corporations.     

The world economy in the summer of 1990

The global economy continues to show an upward trend—albeit at a slower pace— for the eighth year running, although performance differs considerably from country to country. What is the outlook for 1990 as a whole?     

Reaganomics and the world economy

The upswing in the US economy, which has long since surpassed all expectations, has undoubtedly been a great success for the economic policy embarked upon by President Reagan. But has the treatment which has done the USA so much good also been good for the rest of the world? American observers always draw attention to the import boom, whilst overseas commentators are more concerned with the worldwide effects of the USA's very high interest rates.