Introduction [to Globalization and Public Policy. A European Perspective]

This volume analyzes and assess seven key policy issues facing the European Union and the United States and suggest various policy solutions in order to make the U.S. and the EU more competitive in these key sectors. The term globalization has exploded in the literature since the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. The world is growing ever-more interconnected and because of world’s greater connectivity, there comes a slew of more problems, but also a greater variety of available policy solutions as countries can look to one another. This chapter addresses the effect that globalization has had, particularly on Europe and its partnership with the United States. Furthermore, the chapter introduces the seven topics to be discussed throughout the volume: income distribution, gender pay gap, crime and security, unemployment, health care, demographics, and environmental regulation.