Abstract

The process that has come to be called "globalization" is exposing a deep fault line between groups who have the skills and mobility to flourish in global markets and those who either don't have these advantages or perceive the expansion of unregulated markets as inimical to social stability and deeply held norms. The result is severe tension between the market and social groups such as workers, pensioners, and environmentalists, with governments stuck in the middle. The most serious challenge for the world economy in the years ahead lies in making globalization compatible with domestic social and political stability--or to put it even more directly, in ensuring that international economic integration does not contribute to domestic social disintegration.