Kaushik Basu & Henrik Horn 
International Labor Standards 
History, Theory, and Policy Options

This book addresses the controversial call for international labor
standards, seeking to productively further this debate by
considering the economic implications and history of these
standards. A result of an initiative by Professor Kaushik Basu in
his capacity as member of the Expert Group of Development Issues
(EGDI) sponsored by the Swedish Foreign Ministry, the contributions
are based on discussions at a seminar held in Stockholm in August
2001. Compiling the best research in the field, this book provides
a solid basis for policy decisions, while also serving as a
challenging text for students in trade, development, and labor
economics.

* * Analyzes the economic implications and history of international
labor standards.

* Productively furthers the debate about intervening with
international labor standards Stems from a seminar organized through
the Expert Group on Development Issues (EGDI), sponsored by the
Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Table des matières

Part I.

Introduction: Kaushik Basu, Henrik Horn, Lisa Román, Judith
Shapiro.

Part II: The Evolution of Labor Standards:.

1. The History and Political Economy of International Labor
Standards: Stanley Engerman (Rochester University).

Commentary 1.1 The Parallels Between the Past and the Present:
Jane Humphries (All-Souls College, Oxford University).

Commentary 1.2 Legislation Versus Bargaining Power: The
Evolution of Scandinavian Labor Standards: Karl-Ove Moene and
Michael Wallerstein (Oslo University).

Part III: The Theory of International Labor
Standards:.

2. The Impact of International Labor Standards. A Survey of
Economic Theory: Nirvikar Singh (University of California, Santa
Cruz).

Commentary 2.1 Old Wine in New Bottles?: T.N. Srinivasan (Yale
University).

Commentary 2.2 Governing Labor Relations: Tore Ellingsen
(Stockholm School of Economics).

Part IV: The Issue Of Child Labor:.

3. Child Labor: Theory, Evidence and Policy: Drusilla Brown
(Tufts University), Alan Deardorff (Michigan University), and
Robert Stern (Michigan University).

Commentary 3.1 The Political Economy of Child Labor: Alan
Krueger (Princeton University).

Commentary 3.2 Social Norms, Coordination and Policy Issues in
the Fight Against Child Labor: Luis-Felipe López-Calva (El
Colegio de Mexico).

Part V: The International Organisation and Enforcement
of Labor Standards:.

4. A Role For The WTO: Robert Staiger (University of
Wisconsin).

Commentary 4.1 Trade and Labor Standards. To Link or Not to
Link?: Alan L Winters (University of Sussex).

Commentary 4.2 The Need to Micro-Manage Regulatory Diversity:
Petros Mavroidis (University of Neuchatel).

Index.

A propos de l’auteur

Kaushik Basu is Professor of Economics and Carl Marks
Professor of International Studies in the Economics Department at
Cornell University. He is Editor of Social Choice and Welfare and
Associate Editor of The Journal of Economic Perspectives and
The Journal of Development Economics. He is the author of many
books and articles, including The Less Developed Economy,
(Blackwell Publishers, 1984), Lectures in Industrial
Organization Theory (Blackwell Publishers, 1993), and
Analytical Development Economics (1997).

Henrik Horn is Professor of International Economics at
Stockholm University. His current research focuses on various
aspects of the WTO, with particular emphasis on the functioning of
its Dispute Settlement system.

Lisa Román is the Secretary to the Expert Group on
Development Issues (EGDI) and has been with the secretariat since
1999. She has a background as a development economist and is the
author of Institutions in Transition: Vietnamese State Bank
Reform (1999).

Judith Shapiro is Professor of Health Economics at the
New Economic School, and has been a member of the EGDI since 1995.
She is the author of a number of articles on Russian health, labor
and mortality, and three co-authored books on transformation and
integration in Eastern Europe.