{
  "title": "Book Review: Globalization and Inequality by Elhanan Helpman",
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  "summary": "Federico Rossi, assistant professor of economics at the University of Warwick, reviews Globalization and Inequality by Elhanan Helpman.",
  "sections": [
    {
      "heading": "Core thesis",
      "content": "- Elhanan Helpman argues that, while globalization may have affected inequality through a variety of channels, \"the overwhelming finding of recent research ... is that this impact has been quantitatively small,\" and we must \"look elsewhere for the chief culprit in rising inequality.\"\n- The book traverses \"three decades of theoretical and empirical research on international trade\" to assess links between globalization and within-country income inequality, with particular attention to the United States."
    },
    {
      "heading": "Review summary and key findings",
      "content": "- Historical context:\n  - Since the \"beginning of the 19th century, the volume of global trade has increased dramatically.\"\n  - In recent decades, many firms have globalized their production processes through offshoring and outsourcing.\n- Factor proportions (traditional view):\n  - The factor proportions theory suggests removal of trade barriers raised prices of goods relying more on highly skilled labor, widening wage gaps between high- and low-skilled workers in rich countries.\n  - Empirical evidence reviewed in the book suggests \"the magnitude of the effect is rather small\" and \"other subsidiary implications of the theory are not supported either.\"\n- Alternative mechanisms examined:\n  - Helpman reviews research that links globalization and inequality via:\n    - The matching process between workers and firms.\n    - The survival and growth of different types of firms.\n    - Technological change interacting with international trade.\n  - These approaches are \"extremely rich and diverse\" in theoretical sophistication, data, and empirical methodology.\n  - Many of these lines of work are \"in their infancy,\" so conclusions remain tentative.\n- Overall empirical judgement:\n  - The available evidence \"does not support the view that globalization is to be blamed for the increase in inequality.\""
    },
    {
      "heading": "Contribution and value of the book",
      "content": "- Systematic categorization and discussion of diverse theoretical and empirical studies is highlighted as \"perhaps the most valuable contribution of the book.\"\n- The book is described as \"highly readable\" and written by \"one of the most prominent globalization scholars.\""
    },
    {
      "heading": "Policy and public debate implications",
      "content": "- The recent policy debate on the labor market consequences of international trade is characterized as \"ideological, vague, and ill-informed.\"\n- Role for economists:\n  - Economists have an \"important mission of disseminating key findings from rigorous research and helping to ground the debate on data and logical reasoning.\"\n  - Helpman's book is presented as \"one essential attempt in that direction.\""
    },
    {
      "heading": "Publication details (as listed)",
      "content": "- Elhanan Helpman\n- Globalization and Inequality\n- Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA, 2018, 232 pp., $26.95\n\nSource: Book Review: Globalization and Inequality by Elhanan Helpman – IMF Finance & Development Magazine | December 2018\n\n---\n\n Content in this bundle\n\n- Grounding the Debate\n  - Grounding the Debate (Markdown version){rel=\"alternate\" type=\"text/markdown\"}\n  - Grounding the Debate (PDF){rel=\"external\" type=\"application/pdf\"}\n- Fundamentar el debate\n  - Fundamentar el debate (Markdown version){rel=\"alternate\" type=\"text/markdown\"}\n  - Fundamentar el debate (PDF){rel=\"external\" type=\"application/pdf\"}\n- Mieux informer le débat\n  - Mieux informer le débat (Markdown version){rel=\"alternate\" type=\"text/markdown\"}\n  - Mieux informer le débat (PDF){rel=\"external\" type=\"application/pdf\"}\n- book2\n  - book2 (Markdown version){rel=\"alternate\" type=\"text/markdown\"}\n  - book2 (PDF){rel=\"external\" type=\"application/pdf\"}\n- 《全球化与不平等》伊勒哈南·赫尔普曼著 - 书评 - 金融与发展 - 国际货币基金组织季刊\n  - 《全球化与不平等》伊勒哈南·赫尔普曼著 - 书评 - 金融与发展 - 国际货币基金组织季刊 (Markdown version){rel=\"alternate\" type=\"text/markdown\"}\n  - 《全球化与不平等》伊勒哈南·赫尔普曼著 - 书评 - 金融与发展 - 国际货币基金组织季刊 (PDF){rel=\"external\" type=\"application/pdf\"}\n\n---\n\nSource: https://www.imf.org/en/publications/fandd/issues/2018/12/book-review-globalization-and-inequality-helpman"
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    "Authors: Federico Rossi",
    "Published: December 1, 2018",
    "Elhanan Helpman argues that, while globalization may have affected inequality through a variety of channels, \"the overwhelming finding of recent research ... is that this impact has been quantitatively small,\" and we must \"look elsewhere for the chief culprit in rising inequality.\"",
    "The book traverses \"three decades of theoretical and empirical research on international trade\" to assess links between globalization and within-country income inequality, with particular attention to the United States.",
    "Historical context:",
    "Factor proportions (traditional view):",
    "Alternative mechanisms examined:",
    "Overall empirical judgement:",
    "Systematic categorization and discussion of diverse theoretical and empirical studies is highlighted as \"perhaps the most valuable contribution of the book.\"",
    "The book is described as \"highly readable\" and written by \"one of the most prominent globalization scholars.\"",
    "The recent policy debate on the labor market consequences of international trade is characterized as \"ideological, vague, and ill-informed.\"",
    "Role for economists:",
    "Elhanan Helpman",
    "Globalization and Inequality",
    "Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA, 2018, 232 pp., $26.95",
    "**Grounding the Debate**",
    "**Fundamentar el debate**",
    "**Mieux informer le débat**",
    "**book2**",
    "**《全球化与不平等》伊勒哈南·赫尔普曼著 - 书评 - 金融与发展 - 国际货币基金组织季刊**"
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