The Deepening Crisis

"A group of distinguished social scientists tackle some of the central governance challenges produced by the recent economic, political, and social crises. The topics they addresssuch as the environment, religion, nationalism, war, and the prospects for global governanceare essential to understanding the contemporary world. -Arne L. Kalleberg, author of Good Jobs, Bad Jobs "This volume unravels a complex web of connections around the current financial and economic crisis. Among its revelations are: the difficulty of a renewed Keynesian solution because of the gridlock of weak national and transnational institutions with inadequate authority and oversight; the irony that cap-and-trade solutions to environmental issues rely on the same bankers and traders at the core of the financial crisis; and the maneuvers of offshore capitalism in evading state regulation by instant electronic financial transfers under flags of convenience. This work peels back the skin of a rather sinister global beast.-Randall Collins, author of Macro-History: Sociology of the Long Run "The nation state has been at the institutional heart of the last 200 years as it defined our economic and political lives. It is, however, an insufficient platform from which to face the challenges of the 21st Century. This excellent book provides a very useful schema with which to consider both the limits of our current institutions and the possible shape of their successors. I recommend it to scholars, policy makers, and anyone worried about the next crisis. -Miguel Angel Centeno, Author of Global Capitalism: A Sociological Approach