State and globalisation II

Question 1

3

Liberals and globalisation

Answer 1

• They see globalisation as the positive end product of a long-running transformation of world politics - states are no longer central actors because of the increased interconnectedness between societies
• Political globalisation also offers states and non-state acotrs opportunities to work together to solve collective dilemmas
• Argue that global trade binds countries into mutually beneficial relationships which render wars no longer beneficial. China largest supplier of goods to US in 2017, 3rd largest export market for them - two way trade between them worth 635B

Question 2

3

Realists and globalisation

Answer 2

• Does not alter the territorial division of the world into nation states
• Increased interconnedness might make them more dependent, the same cannot be said about the states-system - powerful states retain sovereignty and globalisation does not render obsolete the struggle for political power between those states
• The nation states should act in the interests of its citizens in a dangerous and anarchich world and any attempts to pretend all nations have the same interests are dangerously idealisitic and ultimately self-defeating - pooled sov undermined state sov

Question 3

3

Hyper-globalisers

Answer 3

• Globalisation is creating a revolutionary shift in the structures of global power which will ultimately make the nation state obsolete
• Believe in the emergence of ‘post-sovereign governance’ suggesting the rise of globalisation is inevitabely marked by the decline of the state (becoming hollowed out as said by Bobbitt) as a meaningful actor - will lead to world governance
• Economic governance has been so great it makes the state primarily a depot through which global trade and capital flows

Question 4

2

Globalisation Sceptics

Answer 4

• They question how new the idea of globalisation really is, as well as expressing sceptisim about whether it really has challenged the authority of the state
• Modern globalisation is equally open to scepticism - failure fo states to reach a comprehensive global trade deal in Doha Round in WTO summit in 2015 and May’s commitment to post-Brexit immigration despite econ risks of restricting EU migration - states are not bound by econ forces beyond their control

Question 5

3

Transformationalists

Answer 5

• Acknowledge that globalisation has had a significant impact on state sovereignty - emphasise the totality of it, econ, pol and cultural developments have fundamentally altered the way states must conduct themselves in an increasingly interconnected world
• BUT does not agree that this signifies decline of the state - state is continually adapting to changing circumstances and influence of World Bank and IMF can be used as a negotiating tool
• State sov may even be enhanced by globalisation - economic decisions of individual state gov worldwide significance

Question 6

3

Transformationalists and the internet

Answer 6

• Crimea and Ukraine - political statements to divide democracies - DonBas - pro-Russian messages - support base
• US elections - 2016 Russian involvement in publication of Hillary emails
• Twitter Bots - Russian report in Whitehall on Brexit - more divison between sides (maybe Trump 2024?)

Question 7

3

Economic globalisation summary

Answer 7

• Dramatic increase in global tarde - multinational companies with global reach, shipping, lower tarrifs
• Relationship between production and consumption changed - takes place in lower wage countries, migration easier
• Impacted cultural globalisation - less diversity, not good for environment, 800M people from China lifted from poverty

Question 8

4

Economic globalisation as a force for good

Answer 8

• Some argue that it has done more than any other global political force or event to reduce world poverty
• Has been cited by its supporters as the surest way of reducing poverty and narrowing inequality - positive sum game
• 2 main strategies are import substitution and export-orientated development, range of indsutries targeted that they believe cna successfully compete
• Challenge the idea that TNCs are the enemies of the South and a threat to global justice - employment opp, better wages, training and invest, modern tech, if within country inequality grows as the rich get richer, the important thing is that not that the poor keep up, but that they become less poor

Question 9

2

Economic globalisation stats

Answer 9

• Greater trade - gross world production dramatically increased - 2000 - 41, 016 tr, to 2014 - 77, 868 tr
• According to World Bank - 1980 - 1.9B to 2024 700 M living in extreme poverty

Question 10

2

Globalisation and the consumer

Answer 10

• ‘Ringing Bells Freedom 251’ phone that costs 2.99$
• 97% of UK households own a TV - 27.3M

Question 11

Increased conflict and competition

Answer 11

Pessimists fret about how to cope with our ‘flat, hot and crowded’ planet - may lead to transnational cooperation, but instead to cutthroat competition over resources - inegretaed single society may cause emnity, not amnity

Question 12

2

Protectionist backlash

Answer 12

• Because the benefits will not be distributed equally, globalisation will likely generate conflict between winners and losers - Neorealist theorist Kenneth Waltz says ‘interdependence promotes war as well as peace’
• Under conditions of fierce competition, scarcity and resurgent nationalism, the temptation to seek isolation from the assault of globalisation on national autonomy by creating barriers to trade and other transactions may be irresistible

Question 13

2

World systems theory

Answer 13

• Immanuel Wallerstein
• Globalisation channels benefits to the North at the expense of the agricultural, poorer South, helping to maintain if not increase between-country inequality - ‘neo-colonialism’

Question 14

Imbalances of trade

Answer 14

Between-countries inequalities are exacerbated by the tendencies implicit in the global trading system and particularly the principle of free trade

Question 15

2

Lack of job security

Answer 15

Global capitalism seeks the cheapest workforce, it also undermines the long term-security of workers around the world - thinking back to Burberry, TNCs can simply withdraw their factories from countries in which labour costs have risen too highly

2016 Trump said globalisation ‘left millions of our workers with nothing but poverty and heartache’ and spoke of ‘American carnage’

Question 16

Destruction of rural communities and the environment

Answer 16

The advance of globalisation has been associated with growing rural poverty and widening of rural-urban disparities - rural areas account for 3/4 of people living on less than 1$ a day

Question 17

3

Greater inequality

Answer 17

• Fostered within-country inequality, widening the gap between rich and poor
• China - poorest 25% of people own 1% of wealth, and top 1% own 1/3rds of the wealth
• Trickle down economic as expressed by Norberg is not working

Question 18

2

Democratic deficit

Answer 18

• Econ globalisation is increasingly orchestrated by unnaccountable and unelected intergovernmental institutions like IMF, WB and WTO - free market trade reforms damage the interests of the poorest, yet no democratic means to counter them - far-removed populations
• IMF - each country’s voting power reflects its quotas- broadly determoned by economic size and financial contributions. US holds 17.55%, de facto veto

Question 19

2

A race to the bottom

Answer 19

• Corporate power has thus become stronger as buisnesses have been able to exert increased political leverage through their ability to relocate inestment and production
• The emergence of a more open and competitive economy has forced all states to some extent, to deregulate their economies and restructure tax systems whilst also rolling back welfare and redistributive programmes - developing countries cut corners to attract businesses

Question 20

2

‘The Corporation’ expolitation of workers

Answer 20

• Takes a Nike worker in El Salvador 6.6 minutes to make a shirt for 8 cents - 1% of retail price
• According to Naomi Klein, free trade zone workers have to keep giving incetive for countries to work in their ‘denationalised’ pocket - workers rarely have enough money for 3 meals a day

Question 21

3

‘The Corporation’ harm to health and humans, animals and the environment

Answer 21

• Synthetic chemicals produce cancer and birth defects
• Monsato gave chronic diseases in hearts, kidney and spleen for cows with its BST in USA - unecessary
• Fines given to companies include Exxon - 125M, General Electric - 9.5M - cost effective

Question 22

2

‘The Corporation’ tyranny

Answer 22

• Inter-generational - a form of taxation without representation for younger generations
• Nigerian Ken Siro Wira was hung for opposing Shell’s environmental policies

Question 23

3

Global sceptic references

Answer 23

• 1870-1913 dramatic advancements in telegraphic communications
• Role of Royal Navy in policing the world’s sea lanes
• Free trade liberalism

Question 24

2

China case study

Answer 24

• In 1980, a year after China began its market reforms to move from communism to a more open economy, 84% of China lived in extreme poverty, this has decreased by 12% by 2010
• 2015 - exports from China amoutned to 2.282 tr $ - increase of 20.2% since 2011