http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/keyword/trade Inquiries Journal provides undergraduate and graduate students around the world a platform for the wide dissemination of academic work over a range of core disciplines. en-us Sun, 26 Apr 2026 12:47:58 -0400 Sun, 26 Apr 2026 12:47:58 -0400 http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1887/reconstructing-ruin-as-future-rethinking-the-spatiotemporality-of-race-and-gender-in-glissant-and-spillers-middle-passage By Yiyang Chen - Intersecting Edouard Glissant’s poetics with Hortense Spillers’ theory of race, gender, and sexuality alchemizes a new conception of the Middle Passage’s spatiotemporality. With the slave trade haunting the living, this paper attempts to orient a rupture in the fabric of spacetime, through which implosion leads to a new future. The destructive and destabilizing abyss of the Middle Passage, in itself, creates a philosophy of alterity, where linear, universalizing logics of the West become ruin through which new paradigms emerge. In Poetics of Relation, Glissant delineates three... Wed, 10 Mar 2021 08:59 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1887/reconstructing-ruin-as-future-rethinking-the-spatiotemporality-of-race-and-gender-in-glissant-and-spillers-middle-passage http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1869/a-barrier-to-prosperity-analyzing-the-impact-of-israeli-security-policy-on-palestinian-manufacturing-productivity By Zachary T. Fesen - Israel has increased the nation’s security presence around the Gaza Strip and in the West Bank. Here, the research project analyzes how transaction costs resulting from Israeli security policy impact the output of manufacturing activities in the Palestinian territories. The study examines transaction costs in the form of import restrictions and items Israel restricts from entering the Palestinian territories in the form of the dual-use goods list. Existing research outlines trade restrictions from Israeli security policy but does not explain how the restrictions impact Palestinian manufacturing... Wed, 27 Jan 2021 10:15 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1869/a-barrier-to-prosperity-analyzing-the-impact-of-israeli-security-policy-on-palestinian-manufacturing-productivity http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1752/women-and-globalization-the-impact-of-increased-womens-economic-rights-on-globalization By Liam F. Kerr - Globalization is generally studied as a process that extensively impacts nations and peoples across every aspect of society. Empirical and theoretical research largely focuses on this effect, seeking to discover the impact of an increasingly globalized world on the rights and circumstances of historically disadvantaged peoples, particularly women. While research suggests a mixed verdict on the positive and negative results of globalization for women, there is generally a paucity of research on whether an increase in women’s economic rights might enhance globalization, measured by global... Tue, 15 Jan 2019 09:57 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1752/women-and-globalization-the-impact-of-increased-womens-economic-rights-on-globalization http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1537/the-economic-argument-for-expanding-gmo-regulation-in-america By Daniel M. Weinzapfel - The necessity to grow crops faster and more efficiently has long been a goal for the agriculture industry. Now, through the development of GMOs, this goal is being achieved. However, many critics doubt the reputation of GMOs, instead arguing that we must be more wary of the relatively new science. Overall, the general trend among scholarly authors is that GMOs should be regulated more strictly, as the benefits of increased GMO regulation outweigh the state of the current system. Most scholarly discussions have moved past the perspective that GMOs should be regulated because of health concerns... Thu, 09 Feb 2017 11:38 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1537/the-economic-argument-for-expanding-gmo-regulation-in-america http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1512/the-asean-experience-northeast-asia-and-beyond-free-trade-and-economic-integration By Aik Seng Tan - Economic regionalism has been an observable phenomenon worldwide. Many countries around the world pursue some degree of economic integration with neighbouring countries, in the hopes of capitalizing on the benefits of such an arrangement. At the turn of the 21st century, there already existed various regional economic institutions, including the highly integrated Eurozone in Europe and the East African Community (EAC) for continental Africa. This is in addition to a proliferation of bilateral free trade agreements (FTAs) between countries, which can be regional or cross regional in nature. Many... Mon, 05 Dec 2016 12:00 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1512/the-asean-experience-northeast-asia-and-beyond-free-trade-and-economic-integration http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1405/does-trade-liberalization-lead-to-declining-fish-stock-health-analyzing-the-causality By Erin K. Glenn - ... Tue, 03 May 2016 12:00 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1405/does-trade-liberalization-lead-to-declining-fish-stock-health-analyzing-the-causality http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1396/the-implausibility-of-the-barter-narrative-and-credit-money-in-ancient-babylon By R. D. Baker - Whereas the standard economics textbook literature motivates the emergence of money by pointing to the inefficiencies of barter economies, there is virtually no historical evidence that this is how money actually came about. Due to the lack of evidence for the existence of barter economies, an attempt is made therefore to hypothesize an origin of money which is more compatible with the organization of early societies. This alternative story is explained with the help of a model of four trading merchants, in which barter is shown to be dominated by credit simply on the basis of bargaining power... Thu, 14 Apr 2016 08:00 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1396/the-implausibility-of-the-barter-narrative-and-credit-money-in-ancient-babylon http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1319/the-new-silk-road-assessing-prospects-for-win-win-cooperation-in-central-asia By Siyao Li - The New Silk Road, formally termed the Silk Road Economic Belt and also known as the "One Belt, One Road," was first proposed by China's President Xi Jinping during his 2013 visit to Central Asia. This initiative aims to revive the historical vitality of trade and exchanges among Central Asian countries and China.1 The vision of the Economic Belt "[brings] together China, Central Asia, Russia and Europe (the Baltic); linking China with the Persian Gulf and the Mediterranean Sea through Central Asia and the Indian Ocean."2 In Central Asia, the New Silk Road is designed to pass through Khorgos,... Fri, 01 Jan 2016 12:00 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1319/the-new-silk-road-assessing-prospects-for-win-win-cooperation-in-central-asia http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1581/let-them-export-cake-an-examination-of-the-role-of-economic-freedoms-in-fostering-intra-emu-export-growth By Paul Jeffries - This paper investigates the relationship between various types of economic freedom and intra-EMU export growth. Export growth is the primary empirical puzzle that this paper seeks to explicate, and is important because the EMU's inception preceded significant current account differentials that can mainly be attributed to changes in exports, as imports remained relatively constant. The independent variables – all types of economic freedom – were chosen in light of Cerny's theory of the "competition state," which highlights the importance of intra-state competition, theorizing that increased... Thu, 31 Dec 2015 12:00 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1581/let-them-export-cake-an-examination-of-the-role-of-economic-freedoms-in-fostering-intra-emu-export-growth http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1398/value-added-real-effective-exchange-rates-testing-for-countries-with-high-and-low-vertical-specialization-in-trade By Peter A. Kallis - I test a modified value-added real effective exchange rate based on the construction by Bems and Johnson (2012) for suitability as a replacement for conventionallyconstructed real effective exchange rates for countries with high vertical specialization. To do so, I construct an error-correction model using the exports of two countries with different levels of vertical specialization: Belgium and Germany. I find an insignificant relationship in the short run, but observe that in the long run, the value-added real effective exchange rate may perform better as an indicator of export competitiveness... Wed, 15 Apr 2015 12:00 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1398/value-added-real-effective-exchange-rates-testing-for-countries-with-high-and-low-vertical-specialization-in-trade http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1018/capital-controls-in-emerging-market-economies-comparing-their-use-and-effectiveness-in-five-countries By Urjita Sudula - The use and effectiveness of capital controls in emerging market economies is important to examine because of the potentially damaging effects that these controls may have on a country’s economic growth and development, especially if the country in question is growing at a fast rate. This study relies on quantitative methods to examine whether five emerging market economies in Latin America and Asia—Brazil, Chile, Thailand, Malaysia, and India—have become more insulated from capital flow volatility and exchange rate appreciation, among other economic effects, as a result of their... Mon, 23 Mar 2015 07:29 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1018/capital-controls-in-emerging-market-economies-comparing-their-use-and-effectiveness-in-five-countries http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1534/should-agoa-be-renewed-in-2015 By Benjamin S. Osenbach - On May 18th, 2000, the United States enacted the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), dramatically expanding trade between itself and Sub-Saharan Africa over the following decade. Yet whereas previous studies in the literature have often sought to confirm the significance or investigate the welfare effects of AGOA, this article considers the incentives generated by AGOA in relation to its sustainability, particularly in light of its impending expiration on September 30, 2015. Drawing upon a review of the relevant literature, these effects are considered in terms of AGOA's rules of origin... Wed, 31 Dec 2014 12:00 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1534/should-agoa-be-renewed-in-2015 http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1593/policy-and-place-in-international-economic-coercion By Cullen Moran - This paper investigates factors that contribute to the effectiveness of international economic sanctions. A review of existing literature on sanctions reveals that scholars of economic statecraft have largely neglected to consider two variables – the policy goals of the sender and the place where sanctions are implemented – in their analyses of sanctions success. This study uses multiple analyses of variance to establish that policy and place do account for a degree of variation in the success rate of sanctions. Causal mechanisms that reflect the role of the power-maximizing policymaker... Sat, 31 May 2014 12:00 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1593/policy-and-place-in-international-economic-coercion http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/893/infanticide-as-slave-resistance-evidence-from-barbados-jamaica-and-saint-domingue By Anon S. Anon - Colonial-era fictional and non-fictional descriptions of slave motherhood offer conflicting accounts of the attitudes of slave mothers toward their children. While abolitionists tended to portray slave mothers as wholly selfless, doting, and maternal, pro-slavery writers described slave mothers as negligent and cruel. The debate over the nature of slave motherhood was especially relevant to the Caribbean, where brutal working conditions, disease, and malnutrition impeded slave reproduction. Plantation owners blamed slave women for their failure to reproduce, accusing them of practicing birth control... Tue, 29 Apr 2014 12:34 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/893/infanticide-as-slave-resistance-evidence-from-barbados-jamaica-and-saint-domingue http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1395/efficient-pricing-of-carbon-in-the-eu-and-its-effect-on-consumers By Michael Lee - A European single market for electricity is modeled to find the optimal portfolio of energy generation technologies in the presence of a carbon tax. The goal is to find the Pareto optimal carbon tax rate such that both carbon emissions and production costs are minimized. Different sources of electricity– namely coal, natural gas, nuclear, wind, offshore wind, and solar– are given levelized costs and carbon dioxide emissions (CO2) on a per megawatt-hour (MWh) basis. 20,000 energy portfolios, each with different allocations of the respective generation techniques, are generated via a... Tue, 15 Apr 2014 12:00 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1395/efficient-pricing-of-carbon-in-the-eu-and-its-effect-on-consumers http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1086/the-interests-of-minority-and-majority-shareholders-in-the-eu By Angelika Gorak - The recent economic crisis roved to be immensely threatening to the economic equilibrium within the European Union (EU). Beginning in the United States, it then proved its "domino effect" by covering the EU, resulting in so-called 'financial stress' in all the Member States.1 In this context, some possible explanations for the crisis are worth mentioning: unsustainable macroeconomic inequalities , a lack of adequate policies preventing adventurous risk-t aking on the global scale,2 a complete failure in the system of global financial governance and its regulatory framework.3 Many of these explanations... Wed, 01 Jan 2014 07:58 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1086/the-interests-of-minority-and-majority-shareholders-in-the-eu http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/748/chinese-economic-policy-in-the-21st-century-growth-imbalance-and-considerations-for-australia By Reuben NS. Tang - This report examines the Chinese economic model, the potential for future Chinese growth, and the implications for Australia. An examination of factors that have contributed to the rise of the modern Chinese economy including demographic factors and productivity gains is conducted via a review of existing literature. The pattern of Chinese economic development and the basis for its GDP growth is considered within the context of this literature and the prospects for future Chinese economic growth are discussed while raising and addressing potential imbalances in China. These imbalances principally... Tue, 20 Aug 2013 05:32 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/748/chinese-economic-policy-in-the-21st-century-growth-imbalance-and-considerations-for-australia http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1605/commercial-interests-political-influence-and-the-arms-trade By Nicholas Taber - Given the importance of the global defense trade to geopolitics, the global economy, and international relations at large, this paper examines the political economy of the U.S. defense industry. The goal of this study is to determine the extent to which the U.S. arms trade is driven by commercial interests. This study hypothesizes that an increase in the political influence of the U.S. arms industry leads to any increase in arms exports. Using the congruence method, this study observes campaign contributions in given years from defense corporations with the largest market shares. While strong... Fri, 31 May 2013 12:00 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1605/commercial-interests-political-influence-and-the-arms-trade http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1611/karl-marx-and-the-fair-trade-chocolate-industry-in-the-ivory-coast By Caitlin McGonnigal - The research completed aimed to show that the idea of fair trade, using the example of goals for the chocolate industry of the Ivory Coast, can be described as an example of the economic ideal which Karl Marx imagined. By comparing specific topics discussed by Karl Marx's philosophy on capitalism and its failures, and the ideals purported by fair trade organizations and partners, parallels can be made. This analysis showed that Karl Marx's philosophy coordinates with fair trade ideals in topics such as the importance of history, the eradication of child labor and environmental degradation, and... Mon, 31 Dec 2012 12:00 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1611/karl-marx-and-the-fair-trade-chocolate-industry-in-the-ivory-coast http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/712/justice-and-inequality-in-the-world-trading-system-a-critical-assesment By Dominykas Broga - It has been argued that the global trading system is supposed to promote global efficiency and growth, but a rising chorus of voices is asserting that the global economy operates in a way that is fundamentally unfair and seems to be ‘rigged in favor of the rich’[2]. Those voices require more equality in the World Trade Organization (WTO). Yet, neo-liberals argue that unequal outcomes in the world economy are acceptable on the assumption that equality of opportunity still exists.[3] Others defend the world trading system on the grounds that existing inequalities are fair, because they... Thu, 01 Nov 2012 10:26 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/712/justice-and-inequality-in-the-world-trading-system-a-critical-assesment http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/677/globalizations-peace-the-impact-of-economic-connections-on-state-aggression-and-systemic-conflict By Brian D. Blankenship - The question of whether economic relations have an impact on interstate military conflict has divided scholars and political thinkers since the Enlightenment. Kant claimed that economic interconnectedness among states would contribute to long-term peace in international politics, but since that time consensus has proved illusory, and scholars have taken a diverse array of positions in the debate. Some have claimed that economic connections foster good will and political integration, and that states will be reluctant to risk the benefits of trade through the initiation of conflict; others have... Tue, 14 Aug 2012 08:05 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/677/globalizations-peace-the-impact-of-economic-connections-on-state-aggression-and-systemic-conflict http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/673/trade-and-conflict-in-south-asia-examining-the-relationship-between-trade-interdependence-and-militarized-conflict By Urjita Sudula - The relationship between trade and conflicts between countries in South Asia is important to examine because of the rising prominence of this region of the world. Security issues are of utmost concern when considering the damaging effects that armed conflict has on global economic relations. Therefore, this paper aims to examine whether South Asia has become more stable and less conflict prone as a result of increasing trade relations between countries that have had a history of tense interactions. I rely on primarily quantitative methods to answer this crucial question, through the use of statistical... Mon, 06 Aug 2012 10:05 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/673/trade-and-conflict-in-south-asia-examining-the-relationship-between-trade-interdependence-and-militarized-conflict http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/656/the-challenges-of-climate-change-policy-explaining-the-failure-of-cap-and-trade-in-the-united-states-with-a-multiple-streams-framework By Dustin R. Turin - With their long-term orientation, environmental problems present a unique challenge to the system of policymaking in the United States. The question of how to address climate change—and in particular, how to mitigate the phenomenon—has been particularly acute in its ability to divide policymakers. Cap and trade, a policy tool designed to place a total ‘cap’ on carbon emissions and facilitate the ‘trade’ of pollution allowances, nevertheless emerged on the debate with a strong track record and the promise of aligning the disparate goals of environmental protection... Tue, 26 Jun 2012 06:09 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/656/the-challenges-of-climate-change-policy-explaining-the-failure-of-cap-and-trade-in-the-united-states-with-a-multiple-streams-framework http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1244/banning-evil-cluster-munitions-and-the-successful-formation-of-a-global-prohibition-regime By Denise Garcia - The rise and entry into force of the 2008 Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM) that prohibits cluster bombs constitutes a global prohibition regime. I argue that this new prohibition regime and the arising new international norm set by the CCM, i.e. the prohibition of the use, development, production, acquisition, stockpiling, retention or transfer of cluster munitions developed due to a strong moral opprobrium, initially elicited by commanding moral force of International Humanitarian Law as a robust and compelling previously existing normative structure and then by the success of the ban on... Sun, 15 Apr 2012 12:00 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1244/banning-evil-cluster-munitions-and-the-successful-formation-of-a-global-prohibition-regime http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/607/trading-for-membership-effects-of-eu-candidacy-on-trade-openness-and-gdp-per-capita-in-countries-seeking-membership By Constantine J. Petallides - Since the data from Lars and University of Pennsylvania confirm that candidates trade more than they would normally with the EU, the next question becomes: why? Using “data on sovereign debt instruments from thirty-four emerging markets,”[4] Julia Gray determined that “EU candidacy leads to a decrease in perceived default risk, while EU entry decreases the variance of risk levels,”[5] attracting more foreign investment from international agents. To paraphrase, Gray found that when a smaller nation joins a political and economic union, investors are less worried that the... Mon, 16 Jan 2012 11:03 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/607/trading-for-membership-effects-of-eu-candidacy-on-trade-openness-and-gdp-per-capita-in-countries-seeking-membership http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1064/how-will-the-crisis-in-the-european-single-currency-change-the-direction-of-intergration-europe By Samuel Clark - The European Integration Project envisaged by Jean Monnet of ‘ever closer union between the states of Europe’ was dreamed out of a desire to see that Europe did not return to war again. Europe had, at that time, experienced two hugely destructive wars within a generation of each other. From the 1950s until the collapse of the Soviet Union and reunification of Germany, in 1990, the propellant for integration was a fear of the influence of Communism or invasion from the Warsaw Pact. With America’s financial and military resources increasingly stretched - due to the Korean and Vietnam... Sun, 01 Jan 2012 12:00 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1064/how-will-the-crisis-in-the-european-single-currency-change-the-direction-of-intergration-europe http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1065/we-need-to-talk-about-lisbon-the-capacity-of-the-european-union-as-a-global-trade-actor By Rob May - The European Commission’s (EC) Directorate-General Trade is one of several that have been subsumed into the remit of ‘external relations’ by the Lisbon Treaty. The effect of the construction of the European Single Market on trade throughout the latter half of the twentieth century has helped define the EU as a significant actor in international relations;3 but to what extent has the Lisbon Treaty, which came into effect in 2009, strengthened or weakened the “actorness” of the EU? This question is particularly difficult to answer with any brevity or parsimony; with... Sun, 01 Jan 2012 12:00 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1065/we-need-to-talk-about-lisbon-the-capacity-of-the-european-union-as-a-global-trade-actor http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1222/brazils-china-challenge By Carlos Sucre - In 2001, Goldman Sachs named Brazil one of the four most important emerging economies, with China, Russia and India.1 The BRICs, a term coined by Jim O’Neill, are prophesized to become four of the top six economies in the world by 2050,2 and, with the United States, form a new core of power. O’Neill argued that if Brazil could, “keep inflation low and engage with the rest of the world, Brazil could immediately become something else.”3 In the past twenty years, Brazil has done that and more. It has established a vibrant democracy, controlled inflation and achieved solid... Tue, 01 Nov 2011 12:00 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1222/brazils-china-challenge http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1079/what-are-the-benefits-and-challenges-of-the-economic-and-monetary-union By Anastasios Vourexakis - The Economic Monetary Union (EMU) is the end point of an ambitious and historic stage of integrated market changes1 that not only challenge the structure and foundation of modern-day liberal capitalism, but also offer – where successful – a wealth of opportunity in the goods, labour and service industries of the European Union. A fiscal extension to the principles of the Schengen Agreement2 of 1985 offered a financial breakthrough where multiple crises during the midand late-1980s offered physical deficit in the sense that unemployment was on the rise and inflation was at a post-war... Thu, 01 Sep 2011 12:00 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1079/what-are-the-benefits-and-challenges-of-the-economic-and-monetary-union http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/318/the-equivocal-nature-of-exploitation-how-poor-workers-in-developing-nations-exploit-capitalist-greed-for-a-profit By Colin R. Fraser - Learning to play guitar is painful. For the first months, the coarse steel of the guitar strings shreds the soft skin of the player’s fingertips into a disgusting bloody mess. A reasonable person who does not play guitar would be entirely justified in thinking that the guitar student ought to take it a little bit easier on his poor fingers. Nonetheless, if the guitar student wants to some day be able to play without the pain, his best move is to play as much as possible. In the developing world, sweatshop labour might be viewed in a similar light as the mutilated fingertips of the guitar... Mon, 08 Nov 2010 09:42 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/318/the-equivocal-nature-of-exploitation-how-poor-workers-in-developing-nations-exploit-capitalist-greed-for-a-profit