National Purpose in the World Economy: Post-Soviet States in Comparative Perspective

by Rawi Abdelal

Overview

How do national identities affect the world economy? Building on the insight that nationalisms and national identities endow economic policy with social purpose, Rawi Abdelal proposes a novel theoretical framework, a distinctively Nationalist perspective on international political economy, to answer this question. Using this framework, and drawing on field research in Lithuania, Ukraine, and Belarus, he provides an in-depth look at the link between national identity and the economic policies of the new states formed by the breakup of the Soviet Union.

All these states, from the Baltic coast to central Asia, were economically dependent on Russia during the 1990s. However, they reacted very differently to that dependence, and their reactions can be traced, Abdelal contends, to their individual societies. Some, such as Belarus, found dependence inevitable and sought economic reintegration with Russia. Others, like Lithuania, interpreted dependence as a large-scale security threat and reoriented their economies away from Russia. A third group, typified by Ukraine, demonstrated no coherent economic policy at all regarding dependence.

Abdelal distinguishes the Nationalist tradition in international political economy from the Realist tradition, and shows that economic nationalism is different than mercantilism. He demonstrates the ways that national identity affects economic policy and explains why some governments seek economic autonomy while others prefer regional reintegration. He then applies his approach to other cases of economic reorganization after the end of empire—eastern Europe in the 1920s after the Habsburgs, 1950s Indonesia, and French West Africa in the 1960s.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780801438790
Publisher:	Cornell University Press
Publication date:	11/06/2001
Series:	Cornell Studies in Political Economy
Pages:	240
Product dimensions:	6.12(w) x 9.25(h) x 0.81(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Rawi Abdelal is Joseph C. Wilson Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School.

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

Abdelal combines considerable theoretical sophistication with extraordinary in-depth empirical grounding.... In this outstanding book, Abdelal makes a major contribution to the fields of post-Soviet studies and international political economy.

Alexander Cooley

In addition to producing the most compelling available account of the origins of the post-Soviet states' foreign economic policies, Abdelal rescues the study of national identity from realism, develops a coherent and falsifiable constructivist theory of international political economy, and advances our understanding of the dynamics of postimperial spaces. . . . National Purpose in the World Economy is one of the most original and important contributions to the study of international political economy in the last decade. It is theoretically compelling, conceptually elegant, and empirically sound. It should be widely read and debated by anyone interested in international political economy, post-Soviet political economy, imperial governance and dissolution, as well as international relations theory. (Alexander Cooley, Political Science Quarterly, Winter 2002-03)

Editorial Reviews

In addition to producing the most compelling available account of the origins of the post-Soviet states' foreign economic policies, Abdelal rescues the study of national identity from realism, develops a coherent and falsifiable constructivist theory of international political economy, and advances our understanding of the dynamics of postimperial spaces.... National Purpose in the World Economy is one of the most original and important contributions to the study of international political economy in the last decade. It is theoretically compelling, conceptually elegant, and empirically sound. It should be widely read and debated by anyone interested in international political economy, post-Soviet political economy, imperial governance and dissolution, as well as international relations theory.

Political Science Quarterly

The work is based on a wide range of English-language literature and on interviews for case study chapters on Belarus, Lithuania, and Ukraine.... The theoretical framework and analytical tools in this volume will interest political scientists more than economists. No other recent books have a similar scope and methodology.

Choice

Abdelal's nationalist perspective gives an exciting and important new twist to constructivist theory that deserves to be further explored and expanded. I highly recommend it to international relations scholars, comparativists, and policymakers alike.

Perspectives on Politics

Abdelal provides... a subtle and lucid discussion of contending theories (realism, liberalism, and institutionalism on the one side, national identity on the other).... He ends by skillfully comparing his three core examples with other end-of-empire episodes in nineteenth-century Europe and postwar Asia and Africa.

Foreign Affairs

Abdelal's nationalist perspective gives an exciting and important new twist to constructivist theory that deserves to be further explored and expanded. I highly recommend it to international relations scholars, comparativists, and policymakers alike.
— Perspectives on Politics

Juliet Johnson

An excellent example of [bringing] constructivist theory more fully into political economy.
— New Political Economy

Mark Blyth

A novel theoretical framework examines the link between national identity and the economic policies of the new states formed by the breakup of the USSR.

Business Horizons

This is a challenging and informative book. It makes a strong case for paying attention to national identity when we try to explain the foreign economic policies of new nation-states.
— Slavic Review

Randall W. Stone

An excellent example of bringing constructivist theory more fully into political economy.

New Political Economy

Abdelal provides... a subtle and lucid discussion of contending theories (realism, liberalism, and institutionalism on the one side, national identity on the other).... He ends by skillfully comparing his three core examples with other end-of-empire episodes in nineteenth-century Europe and postwar Asia and Africa.

-- "Foreign Affairs"

Abdelal's nationalist perspective gives an exciting and important new twist to constructivist theory that deserves to be further explored and expanded. I highly recommend it to international relations scholars, comparativists, and policymakers alike.

-- "Perspectives on Politics"

An excellent example of bringing constructivist theory more fully into political economy.

-- "New Political Economy"

In addition to producing the most compelling available account of the origins of the post-Soviet states' foreign economic policies, Abdelal rescues the study of national identity from realism, develops a coherent and falsifiable constructivist theory of international political economy, and advances our understanding of the dynamics of postimperial spaces.... National Purpose in the World Economy is one of the most original and important contributions to the study of international political economy in the last decade. It is theoretically compelling, conceptually elegant, and empirically sound. It should be widely read and debated by anyone interested in international political economy, post-Soviet political economy, imperial governance and dissolution, as well as international relations theory.

-- "Political Science Quarterly"

The work is based on a wide range of English-language literature and on interviews for case study chapters on Belarus, Lithuania, and Ukraine.... The theoretical framework and analytical tools in this volume will interest political scientists more than economists. No other recent books have a similar scope and methodology.

-- "Choice"

From the Publisher