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The Rise of the Region State

By Kenichi Ohmae
Spring 1993
Article Summary and Author Biography

The nation state has become a dysfunctional unit for understanding and managing the flows of economic activity that dominate today's borderless world. Policymakers, politicians and corporate managers would benefit from looking at "region states"--the globe's natural economic zones--whether they happen to fall within or across traditional political boundaries. With their efficient scales of consumption, infrastructure and professional services, region states make ideal entryways into the global economy. If allowed to pursue their own economic interests without jealous government interference, the prosperity of these areas will eventually spill over.

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