How Much Do National Borders Matter?
Economics Prof. John Helliwell challenges the popular perception that the world has become so globalized there is no economic importance left to national borders. The evidence in his book shows that the extent of globalization is far less than is generally thought.
"There has come to be a large gap between perception and reality," Helliwell says.
His surveys show people falsely believe Canada's trade ties to the United States to be tighter than those among the provinces. In fact, Helliwell's evidence shows that interprovincial merchandise trade linkages are more than 10 times as intense as those between the provinces and U.S. states.
Helliwell also found movements of people and services are even more focused on national rather than international destinations.
"It is true for Canada and the U.S. and also for other industrial and developing countries that their internal economic structures are more intense than are international linkages," Helliwell says.