Far from being another short-lived buzzword, "globalization" refers to real changes. These changes have profound impacts on culture, economics, security, and the environment- and hence on the fundamental challenges of governance. This volume, from the Visions of Governance in the 21^st Century program at the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, asks three fundamental questions: How are patterns of globalization currently evolving? How do these patterns affect governance? And how might globalism itself be governed?

The first section maps the trajectory of globalization in several dimensions – economic, cultural, environmental, and political. Graham Allison speculates about the impact on national and international security and William C. Clark develops and evaluates the concepts of "environmental globalization." The second section examines the impact of globalization on governance within individual nations (including China, struggling countries in the developing world, and the industrialized democracies) and includes Elaine Kamarck’s assessment of global trends in public-sector reform. The third section discusses efforts to improvise new approaches to governance including the role of non-governmental institutions, the global dimensions of information policy, and Dani Rodrik’s speculation on global economic governance.

Other contributors include Arthur Applbaum, Jeffrey Frankel, Merilee Grindle, Deborah Hurley, Robert Keohane, Mark Moore, Pippa Norris, and Frederick Schauer.

Joseph S. Nye, Jr. is the dean of the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University. His recent books include Bound to Lead: The Changing Nature of American Power (Basic Books, 1991). John D. Donahue is the Raymond Vernon Lecturer in Public Policy at the Kennedy School. His recent books include Making Washington Work (Brookings 1999).