The Brand Commission

Question 1

What was the main goal of the Brandt Commission?

Answer 1

To rethink global development and North–South relations, addressing rising inequalities and economic imbalances.

Question 2

Who chaired the Brandt Commission?

Answer 2

Willy Brandt, former West German Chancellor and Nobel Peace Prize winner.

Question 3

What historical events prompted the creation of the Brandt Commission?

Answer 3

The collapse of Bretton Woods and oil crises of the 1970s.

Question 4

Who initially envisioned the idea for the Brandt Commission?

Answer 4

Robert McNamara, the World Bank president.

Question 5

What does NIEO stand for?

Answer 5

New International Economic Order.

Question 6

What is ‘Progressive Machiavellianism’?

Answer 6

A strategy of appearing benevolent to the Global South while protecting Northern interests.

Question 7

How did Willy Brandt transform the Commission’s focus?

Answer 7

By making it more independent from the World Bank and emphasizing shared interests.

Question 8

What was the composition of the Brandt Commission?

Answer 8

21 members — 11 from the South, 10 from the North.

Question 9

What was Brandt’s vision for international relations?

Answer 9

A ‘Third Way’ approach focusing on neutrality and mutual understanding.

Question 10

What did the Brandt Commission propose regarding global governance?

Answer 10

Structural reforms in trade and governance, avoiding structural adjustment programs.

Question 11

What was the stance of the Brandt Commission towards multinational corporations?

Answer 11

It critiqued their role and called for regulation and reform of global systems.

Question 12

What was the initial reaction of the G77 towards the Brandt Commission?

Answer 12

They were suspicious, fearing it would interfere with ongoing negotiations.

Question 13

What ideological view did key corporate figures in the 1970s hold?

Answer 13

They believed global integration would occur through business, not political cooperation.

Question 14

What does the term ‘vertical integration’ refer to in the context of MNCs?

Answer 14

Control over the supply chain from raw materials to production to sale.

Question 15

What was the impact of MNCs operating outside regulatory reach?

Answer 15

It led to intra-company trade that avoided taxes and eroded welfare models.

Question 16

What double bind did states face regarding MNCs?

Answer 16

Fear of regulation leading to disinvestment and ignoring Global South demands.

Question 17

How did global discourse shift regarding development responsibilities?

Answer 17

From rights to duties, with an emphasis on making FDI attractive.

Question 18

What critiques did Barnet and Müller offer about TNCs?

Answer 18

They undermined local demand, tax systems, and democratic accountability.

Question 19

What was the response of the UN and ILO to TNCs’ controversial roles?

Answer 19

They tried to establish a Code of Conduct, but it remained voluntary and unenforceable.

Question 20

How did TNCs reframe the narrative of interdependence?

Answer 20

They claimed that MNCs were solutions to global instability, justifying profit-seeking globalization.

Question 21

Fill in the blank: The Brandt Commission aimed to create equity between the ______ and ______.

Answer 21

[Global North] and [Global South]

Question 22

What event in 1971 ended the dollar’s fixed value to gold?

Answer 22

The collapse of the Bretton Woods system

This allowed the U.S. to print money freely.

Question 23

What was the impact of the dollar beginning to float in 1973?

Answer 23

The dollar lost value, leading to inflation

Investors turned to commodities like oil and grain for stability.

Question 24

Which countries benefited from the inflation caused by the dollar’s decline?

Answer 24

Grain-exporting countries like the U.S.

Poorer food-importing nations were hurt.

Question 25

What did Algerian leader Boumediene identify as the core problem for poor countries in 1974?

Answer 25

Lack of access to essentials like technology, education, and capital.

Question 26

What did the oil price shock of 1973 reveal about global inequality?

Answer 26

It exposed deeper global inequalities as former colonies remained dependent despite formal independence.

Question 27

What economic system was collapsing in the North during the 1970s?

Answer 27

The Fordism system built on mass production, labor stability, and welfare.

Question 28

What was the purpose of the G77 formed in 1964?

Answer 28

To organize developing nations for collective bargaining power in global forums.

Question 29

What did developing nations argue regarding unfair terms of trade?

Answer 29

They kept the South impoverished, with raw material prices stagnating while manufactured goods grew more expensive.

Question 30

What was the income gap between rich and poor nations by the early 1970s?

Answer 30

Widened from 15:1 to 35:1.

Question 31

What did the Non-Aligned Movement call for after the oil crisis?

Answer 31

Control over national resources and economic sovereignty.

Question 32

What were the main demands proposed by the G77 for the NIEO at the UN in 1974?

Answer 32

* Fair commodity pricing * National control of resources * Redistribution of economic power * Increased aid and technology transfer * Reform of global institutions

Question 33

True or False: The G77 accepted Western environmental arguments against growth.

Answer 33

False ## Footnote They insisted that development was a necessity for the Global South.

Question 34

What was the significance of the Lomé Convention established in 1975?

Answer 34

It aimed to establish more equitable trade relations between the EEC and ACP countries.

Question 35

What did ACP countries argue against reciprocal trade with the EEC?

Answer 35

It was unfair due to their unequal development.

Question 36

What was the role of the Trilateral Commission formed in 1973?

Answer 36

To protect Western interests and resist the demands of the NIEO.

Question 37

What did the G7 aim to do in response to economic crises?

Answer 37

Address economic crises and resist the G77's radical demands.

Question 38

What did the NIEO propose regarding global taxation?

Answer 38

Global resource redistribution through measures like international taxation.

Question 39

Fill in the blank: The radical ambitions of the NIEO gave way to _______.

Answer 39

pragmatic, incremental reforms.

Question 40

What challenges did the NIEO face in achieving its goals?

Answer 40

Internal divisions within the Global South made collective action difficult.

Question 41

What did the Third World Forum aim to provide in the 1970s?

Answer 41

Alternative development strategies.

Question 42

What was a major critique of the NIEO in relation to international law?

Answer 42

It challenged international law protecting multinational corporations but faced resistance from the North.