Few sectors of the global economy arouse as much awe and fascination as the global financial markets, and few have such a dramatic impact on the nature of the world we live in. Governments, the private sector, and the general public alike are scrambling to adapt to the dynamic and growing power of international finance. This book provides a clear portrait of the dramatic transformation of the global financial system in the late twentieth century. Drawing on work by a prestigious and interdisciplinary group of specialists, this volume looks at the political economy of individual sectors of the financial services industry, at regional market patterns - such as the European Union - and at individual countries from the Asian newly-industrialised countries to Europe and the United States. The book captures the complexity and dynamics of a sector with vital implications for the future of global economic development.