Why should democracy and foreign capital be studied as important determinants of the future of global integration? This is just one of the questions discussed by this book. The author addresses the crucial issue of global integration and economic growth and development by focusing on two of the most salient integrative forces in the globalization process: in the economic sphere, trade and direct investment are driving economic integration; in the political sphere, an unprecedented number of states have yielded to the 'Third Wave' of democritization. The effects of these forces are analyzed and their implications are discussed, as the author presents a systematic analysis of the various propositions on both sides of the globalization debate.