Paul H, Chilla T, Sommer CR (2025)
Publication Type: Journal article
Publication year: 2025
DOI: 10.1080/08865655.2025.2539973
Borders are a prominent element in economies: international interactions cross at least one border, marking differences in regulation. Classical economics sees borders mainly in terms of transaction costs, which can be decreased through trade liberalization, as illustrated by free trade agreements and the European integration process. More critical approaches reflect on who profits from border regimes and liberalization, and who does not. At the local level, however, knowledge on economic functioning seems to be rather limited, with prominent debates on cohesion, border-related barriers, and resources often being vaguely linked to economic dynamics. Based on a scoping review, this paper aims to enhance this understanding through a systematic overview of the academic discourse on the border-economy-nexus. Our aim is to reveal geographic and sectoral foci as well as conceptual strands in the academic discourse. The results reveal a strong focus on the US–Mexico border and European borders. Topics such as trade, the informal economy and agriculture are primarily addressed. While most existing research considers differentials, barriers and resources, it rarely refers to the border region on a small scale. Based on such arguments, we formulate proposals for a research agenda that more systematically address dynamics within border-regional economies.
APA:
Paul, H., Chilla, T., & Sommer, C.R. (2025). Economy and Border Regions–A Research Gap? Results from a Scoping Review. Journal of Borderlands Studies. https://doi.org/10.1080/08865655.2025.2539973
MLA:
Paul, Hannah, Tobias Chilla, and Carola Rebecca Sommer. "Economy and Border Regions–A Research Gap? Results from a Scoping Review." Journal of Borderlands Studies (2025).
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