Large emerging economies, such as China, India and Brazil, are becoming increasingly important centers of economic and political power, challenging the traditional dominance of the U.S. and its Western allies. This transformation has been identified as one of the most important in modern history. The question of how this shift in power will impact international economics and politics is at the center of debates in academic, business and policy circles around the world. This project will address these debates by analyzing current transformations taking place at the World Trade Organization (WTO). The WTO is a central institution in the governance of the global economy and one that is being profoundly affected by changes in the relative balance of power between states. While the WTO has historically been dominated by the U.S. and a small group of other rich industrialized states, in the last decade Brazil, India and China have emerged as major players at the WTO. This project will analyze the nature of the new power structure emerging at the WTO and assess the impact that this shift in power is having on the discourse and policies of the WTO. The study will draw on field research at the WTO in Geneva and in the Trade Ministries of Brazil, India and China, using a combination of documentary/archival research, interviews with trade policy-makers, and direct observation. Analysis of the transformations occurring at the WTO has the potential to yield rich theoretical insights and inform debates of central concern to political sociologists regarding the structure and organization of the global political economy. The question of how changes in the distribution of power between states will affect the governance of the global political economy is of major theoretical concern to academics across a range of disciplines as well as of practical concern to policy-makers. By broadly disseminating the results of this research, this study will make an important contribution both to academic theory as well as policy-making.
