At the local level, many government leaders are eager to attract jobs of any sort - whether foreign or domestic companies - and to retain the jobs they have. Nationally, however, many politicians fret over issues of sustainability, control, and self-sufficiency (among others), which are raised by the question: How much should we integrate ourselves into the global economy? However, national leaders can no longer operate in a cocoon. Whatever may be the intended audience for their statements, thanks to international media and the internet almost every word will reach a global audience - often bringing unforeseen consequences. Politics is seldom purely local anymore. The following articles have been assembled to shed light on these and other related issues.