International Political Economy is based on the assumption that IPE is best understood as enduring political competition between the winners and losers generated by global economic exchange. The book develops this theme by examining the origins and nature of this competition. It explains that while global economic exchange raises social welfare, it also creates winners and losers who compete to influence government economic policy. It explains how political institutions--international and domestic--mediate this competition. Finally, it demonstrates how this political dynamic shapes the global economy.