Buying into America

As an economic issue, Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) has been the focus of political and economic discussions over the past two decades. It should be stressed that the United States, as no other country in the world, became a center of FDI expansion when flows of foreign direct investment peaked there during the 1980s and 1990s. Yet, what have been the causes, pace and extent of FDI in the United States over that period of time until present? By providing historical, empirical and statistical evidence of FDI as an economic issue in general and its presence in the U.S. economy, the author of this book gives plausible explanation for foreign investors to have found a haven on the American shore. As part of a theoretical framework, she pays attention to the development and evolution of the FDI theory by highlighting several leading FDI theories. To present the extent to which some of such theories can be supported, the author examines the determinants of FDI in the United States. Finally, giving an answer to the questions how much was bought, of what, and by whom, she generates a picture about the extent and major trends of FDI flows in the U.S economy. This book is aimed at the professors and students of the Economics Studies Faculty, and is recommended as a good read for anyone interested in FDI as a global phenomenon of participation of multinational companies in the world's leading economies.