Global goliaths: Multinational corporations in the 21st century economy

Multinational corporations are responsible for a huge slice of global employment, investment, and research. To some, they are malevolent monopolizers that exploit labor and avoid taxes. To others, they are engines of innovation and efficiency, contributing to global prosperity. In an effort to elevate the sometimes contentious public debate over the conduct and operation of multinational corporations and policy towards them, the new edited volume, “Global Goliaths: Multinational Corporations in the 21st Century Economy,” published by Brookings Institution Press, examines key questions about their role in their home countries and in the rest of the world where they do business.  

On April 20, the Hutchins Center on Fiscal & Monetary Policy hosted an event to celebrate the release of “Global Goliaths.” It opened with an overview of the role of multinational corporations in the modern economy, followed by a panel discussion on the impact of multinationals on jobs: Do multinational corporations export jobs? Do they exploit workers? Do U.S. and European multinationals contribute to home country employment? A second panel on taxation of multinationals followed. What, realistically, is the potential to raising more revenue from multinational corporations? And is that a good idea?

During the live event, viewers submitted questions for panelists at sli.do using the code #GlobalGoliaths, or join the conversation on Twitter using the hashtag #GlobalGoliaths. 

“Global Goliaths: Multinational Corporations in the 21st Century Economy” is available for purchase now in print and e-book. To see highlights from the book, including an overview of multinational corporations and principles for policymakers, visit this page.