Great Empires, Small Nations

Suitable for those willing to entertain nonconventional observations that hold up well in what is happening in the world, this book presents an argument that global public services, such as security, a trading system, and communication networks provided by large democratic entities provide opportunities for small countries and regions to prosper.

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'Colomer's book is a stimulating read, certainly for anyone willing to entertain nonconventional observations that hold up well in what is happening in the world. His most important argument is that global public services, such as security, a trading system, an international monetary regime, and communication networks provided by large democratic entities such as the United States and the European Union provide opportunities for small countries and regions to prosper. The successful smaller units – like Ireland or Catalonia – trade more in proportion to their economies than large ones, are generally more democratic, and have more multilingual populations. I expect this book to be widely read and greatly admired.’–Sidney Weintraub, William E. Simon Chair in Political Economy, Centre for Strategic and International Studies, Washington DC, USA