This book offers a compelling new interpretation of the proliferation of regional trade agreements (RTAs) at the end of the twentieth century. Challenging the widespread assumption that RTAs should be seen as fundamentally similar economic initiatives to pursue free trade, Francesco Duina proposes t[...]

* Clear and concise book that explains how the functioning and shape of the economy depend upon social institutions. * Reveals the crucial role formal and informal institutions in everyday life play in how the economy works.[...]