Introduction: aims and conceptions

Abstract

International economics deals with the causes and effects of transactions and economic relations between nation states as well as with the degree of interdependence (ranging from integration and co-operation to isolation and competition) that is created this way. More precisely, the international economy has its starting-point in the agents pursuing a wide range of economic activities within these nation states. These are on the one hand national or multinational enterprises and on the other hand individuals acting as owners of factors of production and consumers, but also political decision-makers. Implicitly, the term “inter”-national already gives us an idea of the relevance of borders as places where movement can be inhibited or restricted. But what is it that is contained within the borders of nation states, why do borders make a difference and why does the difference “inter” versus “infra” matter? Taken literally, the idea of the nation is related to the common origin of its inhabitants. Having a look at the main approaches of international economics we quickly become aware that

• nations are mostly defined as political entities in the sense of states or countries; sometimes also the term “economies” is used;

• related to this is the idea of territories within which agents and factors of production are mobile, but between which there is immobility.