The Mutual Influence of Italian Domestic Politics and the International Monetary Fund
John R. Hillman
Contrary to popular wisdom, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is not entirely apolitical when dealing with debtor countries, particularly those with which it is negotiating conditional financing arrangements. Concomitantly, within countries seeking funding, actions of the IMF are often used by interest groups and parties for political purposes. John R. Hillman examines the nature of this interaction in the case of Italy, and gives some insight as to whether the IMP’s recognition of political factors facilitates such negotiations.
Marxist Revisionism in East Germany: The Case of Rudolf Bahro
Jeffrey Lee Canfield
Between August 1977 and October 1979 Rudolf Bahro’s incarceration in East Germany for having criticized existing socialism drew the attention of Western Europe and much of the world. His revision of Marxism is unique because it originates within the Communist Bloc and because Bahro himself was a Communist Party member and a successful manager in East German industry. Jeffrey Lee Canfield recounts the details of this case and analyzes Bahro’s theory.
Joint Ventures Abroad and United States Antitrust
Jim Manzi
The dramatic expansion of the activities of multinational corporations over the past three decades, in both the volume of business and the types of corporate activity, has not been accompanied by a corresponding increase in sophistication of U.S. antitrust law as it affects the overseas operations of U.S. and foreign firms. This is particularly true for antitrust regulation of joint ventures abroad, despite efforts by the Justice Department to clarify the law as it endeavors to enforce it. Jim Manzi explores the evolution of antitrust law as it applies to overseas joint ventures, critiques the Justice Department’s position and highlights those areas of the law which require further clarification.
The Use of Law to Encourage Smaller Families in Singapore
Thomas Walter Smith
At the end of the eighteenth century, Malthus sounded a warning to the world based on a theory of population growth. In the twentieth century, many developing countries have seen their aspirations frustrated, as unchecked population growth has all but negated their hard-earned economic gains. Thomas Walter Smith shows how Singapore has managed to cope with this problem, and explains which lessons might be applied successfully in other countries.
Quebec’s Foreign Policy
A Forum Interview with Claude Morin, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Province of Quebec
M. Morin responded in writing to questions prepared by Stephen Davis, a doctoral candidate at The Fletcher School. In doing so, the Minister sought to further define the province’s foreign policy course as it heads toward a referendum on sovereignty-association in the Spring of 1980- a referendum proposed by the present provincial government of the Parti Quebecois. For a background analysis of Quebec’s foreign policy, see Ellen Beth Lande, “Quebec’s International Personality,” Fletcher Forum Vol. III, No. 2 (Summer 1979), pp. 22-45.
The FORUM Forum
Alfred P. Rubin: Constitutional Confusion: Treaty Denunciation
Charles Allen: Trends in Economic Samizdat
Robert L. Pfaltzgraff Jr.: Western Europe and the SALT II Treaty: An American View
Oliver William Hennigan Jr.: Near Earth Orbital Space: Implications for American Foreign Policy
Herbert E. Hansen: The Option of International Energy Negotiations
Daniel K. H. Chao: The Resurgence of Countertrade: An Alternative Method of Financing Trade for the Developing Countries
Book Reviews
The Third World War: A Future History
by General Sir John Hackett
Shattered Peace: The Origins of the Cold War and the National Security State
by Daniel Yergin