This work challenges the popular view that globalization threatens the role of the nation-state in determining national policy. It examines the fundamental issue of competitiveness and market power in an increasingly borderless and co-dependent world. Despite this increased threat to the nation-state as an effective manager of the national economy, the authors argue that there are a number of options and alternatives open to governments to protect themselves from the global business cycle. Contents : List of figures List of tables List of contributors Introduction Robert Boyer and Daniel Drache Part I Globalization : unleashing the market 1. From keynes to k-mart : competitiveness in a corpotare age Daniel Drache 2. Globalization and internationalization : the dymanics of the emerging world order Riccardo Petrella 3. State and market : a new engagement for the twenty-first century? Robert Boyer Part II The limits of Japanese power 4. Shifting technological paradigms : from the us to Japan Charles McMillan 5. The Japanese production system : the process of adaptation to national settings Tetsuo Abo 6. Regional blogs : can Japan be the leader? Paul Bowles and Brian MacLean