As emerging powers deepen their involvement in world trade and global governance, it is crucial to explore the what and the why of their strategic choices vis-a-vis the World Trade Organization. This book does just that, examining the trade policy decisions of two emerging power states, Brazil and India, since 2001. In this timely work, Laura Carsten Mahrenbach develops a broad-based analytical framework which addresses trade policy within EP states, in their regions and on the global level. The findings underline the importance of examining domestic factors when trying to understand strategic decisions by emerging powers. They also have important implications for our understanding of the role of emerging power states in global (trade) governance.

"The foreign economic policy of emerging powers is a highly timely subject. This book presents a much-needed comparative treatment of the role of Brazil and India in trade negotiations. Based on very comprehensive document analysis and many interviews, it contains a wealth of empirical information that will be of great value to policy-makers and scholars. Laura Mahrenbach is to be commended for developing a convincing argument in favour of a domestic politics-approach towards emerging markets international behaviour." - Andreas Nölke, Goethe University, Germany

"This book examines the causes for India's and Brazil's international trade strategies in an exemplary, theoretically guided and empirically profound way. In this highly welcome comparative analysis, Laura Carsten Mahrenbach conceptualizes the the potential influence of societal ideas and interests in well developed hypotheses and tests them systematically in detailed case studies. Thus, her book makes an important contribution to the understanding of the role of domestic politics in shaping governmental strategies and to the international political economy of emerging powers." - Stefan A. Schirm, Ruhr University, Germany

"An interesting and sophisticated analysis, this book provides valuable reading for students and

scholars working on contemporary trade issues and rising powers." - Amrita Narlikar, University of Cambridge, UK

Autorentext

Laura Carsten Mahrenbach is Assistant Professor of Political Science at Curry College, USA. She holds a doctorate in Social Sciences from the Ruhr University in Bochum, Germany with a specialization in International Political Economy. Prior to graduate school, she spent a year as a Fulbright teaching assistant in Hannover, Germany.

Inhalt

Empirical Puzzle, Arguments and Research Design 2. Brazil: Context and Trade Liberalization 3. Brazil: Dispute Settlement and Conclusions 4. India: Context and Trade Liberalization 5. India: Dispute Settlement and Conclusions 6. Conclusions, Revised Framework and Implications