New Publication on the Political Economy of Microstates
Lessons from the Political Economy of Small Islands: The Resourcefulness
of Jurisdiction, edited by Godfrey Baldacchino & David Milne, Basingstoke,
Macmillan Press (UK) & New York, St Martin's Press (USA). ISBN
- 0-333-77817-0; xxiii+266pp. Hardback edition.
Price: £45.00stg. (Published: June 2000)
Small islands often enjoy a distinct juridical personality. Many, whether
fully sovereign or not, successfully deploy this 'gift of jurisdiction'
to economic advantage, offsetting the potentially adverse effects of smallness,
isolation and peripherality. These legal powers, reflected in supportive
policy and culture, are themselves key economic resources in a development
strategy. This book thus argues that jurisdictional status is, in
itself, a resource critical for economic development.
The book documents such lessons from a most unlikely group of North
Atlantic islands. It focuses on the experience of six, North Atlantic,
cold-water islands boasting distinct constitutional arrangements - subjects
of comparative research under the auspices of the North Atlantic Islands
Programme, co-ordinated by the Institute of Island Studies at the University
of Prince Edward Island, in collaboration with Nord-Refo, the Nordic Council
for Regional Policy Research. The constitutional status of the target islands
ranges from full sovereignty (Iceland), to federation (Prince Edward Island;
Newfoundland & Labrador) to federacy or home rule status (Faroe
Islands; Isle of Man; Åland Islands). The text explores how
the different constitutional, political and cultural features of these
islands are deployed in strategic economic thinking and planning, leading
these jurisdictions to craft a real 'political economy'.
The comparative interplay of economic and juridical resources is also taken up in relation to four major economic domains: the primary sector; small-scale manufacturing; export of knowledge-based services and tourism. In the outcome, practical 'best practice' proposals are suggested.
The text is introduced by a set of essays which explore the critical transversal themes of constitutionalism, international relations and culture from a comparative perspective, teasing out the specific advantages that these can bestow on small and insular players.
The book documents the 'gift of jurisdiction' as a strategy enabler, with law and public policy serving as the fuel for development. All the more so in a decentralizing globalized world, which offers lucrative opportunities for differentiation and niche strategies for small island jurisdictions.
Dr Baldacchino is a Sociologist specialising in island and small states studies. He is a Lecturer and Research Officer with the Workers' Participation Development Centre, University of Malta.
23 June, 2000