Why have some countries grown much faster than others in the post-war period and over a longer timespan? What can a country do to improve its growth and performance? The contributors to this volume provide answers to these questions, focusing in particular on two areas: the role that globalization of certain markets has played in the convergence of productivity levels over much of the world in recent decades and the effect on economic growth of a country’s membership of a specific economic area. The book utilizes theoretical and empirical evidence to explain why economic growth differs from country to country and region to region.