Globalization and its discontents

2003-06-09T07:53:00.000-07:00

FINAL EXAM:

DIRECTIONS: DO NOT DISCUSS THE EXAM OR YOUR ANSWERS WITH ANYONE ELSE IN THE CLASS. DO NOT PUT YOUR NAME ANYWHERE ON THE EXAM, BUT BE SURE TO WRITE YOUR STUDENT ID NUMBER SOMEWHERE ON YOUR ANSWER.

Your answer is due in Pick 407 by 10:00 AM on Tuesday, June 10nd.

UNDERGRADUATE FINAL:

Answer one of the following questions. Please be sure to cite your sources and provide a bibliography.

1. “Even if globalization increases economic inequality, the overwhelming majority of the world’s population still benefits from the reduction of barriers to economic exchange. Globalization has reduced poverty, improved human rights conditions, and reduced the likelihood of international violence.”

Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Why? Be sure to support your argument.

2. Relying on one of the theories discussed in class, (e.g., realism, world society, global civil society, Marxism) what will global governance look like fifty years from now? Then critique your argument by using another one of the theories.

GRADUATE FINAL:

Answer one of the following questions. Please be sure to cite your sources and provide a bibliography.

1. “Globalization does not alter the explanatory power of the realist paradigm. The current reduction of barriers to economic exchange is purely a function of American Hegemony. This era of globalization will end as U.S. power wanes.”

Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Why?

2. How does globalization facilitates the power and influence of non-state actors (NGO’s, IGO’s, MNC’s) at the expense of national governments? Draw liberally from the class lectures and readings to make your case.

2003-06-02T08:06:00.000-07:00

FINAL EXAM FOR GRADUATING STUDENTS:

DIRECTIONS: DO NOT DISCUSS THE EXAM OR YOUR ANSWERS WITH ANYONE ELSE IN THE CLASS. DO NOT PUT YOUR NAME ANYWHERE ON THE EXAM, BUT BE SURE TO WRITE YOUR STUDENT ID NUMBER SOMEWHERE ON YOUR ANSWER. Your answer is due in Pick 407 by 10:00 AM on Tuesday, June 3rd.

Answer one of the following questions. Please be sure to cite your sources and provide a bibliography.

1. Does globalization benefit multinational corporations more than any other type of actor in international relations? Why or why not?

2. To what extent can national governments regulate the effects of economic globalization? Be sure to provide empirical examples to support your argument.

2003-05-30T09:33:00.000-07:00

A FEW ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS: In no particular order:

1. For graduating students, the final exam will be e-mailed (and posted on the course blog at at 10:00 AM this Monday, June 2. It will be due in Pick 407 no later than 10:00 AM on Tuesday, June 3.

2. For everyone else the final exam will be e-mailed (and posted on the course blog at the FOLLOWING Monday, June 9, at 10:00 AM. It will be due in Pick 407 no later than 10:00 AM on Tuesday, June 10.

3. DO NOT WRITE YOUR NAME ANYWHERE ON THE FINAL EXAM. USE ONLY YOUR STUDENT ID NUMBER.

4. As to the exam format, here’s the deal – you’ll be given a choice of two essay questions, and you’ll have to answer one of them. You should cite the relevant course readings in your answer.

5. Tuesday’s class will go over the relationship between globalization and democracy. However, Thursday’s class will NOT discuss the Singer book, and you are not responsible for it for the final. Instead, it will be an open discussion on the course and some Q & A on the final.

2003-04-29T09:09:00.000-07:00

This New York Times editorial suggests that perhaps investment banks (aka, capital) are not best left to their own devices.

2003-04-23T13:40:00.000-07:00

CHANGE IN ASSIGNMENT: I'm changing the first assignment for the class. I had originally planned for you to write a paper that dissected "conflicting or confused media accounts of globalization." That's out.

Instead, my assignment will be for you to write a 2,500 word essay on the following question:

"How has globalization contributed to the wealth or poverty of nations?"

You should feel encouraged to cite articles or books from beyond the classroom, but it is not necessary. This assignment will be due THURSDAY, MAY 1ST.

Oh, one other thing. The reason I've chosen this question is that there's an on-line essay contest that will award $10,000 in total prizes to the best essays answering this question.

You don't have to submit the essay to the contest, but you're certainly encouraged to do so.

2003-04-08T09:00:00.000-07:00

SARS AND GLOBALIZATION: This Ha'aretz article demonstrates how globalization can accelerate the spread of communicable diseases, like SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome).

2003-04-02T13:24:00.000-08:00

NEW MEETING PLACE: Tomorrow (Thursday, April 3) this class will meet in it's assigned room (Judd 112). fter tomorrow, however, the class will meet in Judd 126, which is right around the corner.

2003-03-14T12:16:00.000-08:00

AN INTRODUCTION:

Globalization is responsible for a lot of bad writing. Part of the problem lies with the term itself; globalization remains an enigma. People have difficulty defining it, but claim to know it when they see it. The opinion mafia tries to use it an all-encompassing prism through which one can make sense of world affairs. This sort of concept is difficult to pin down, and all the more dangerous because of it; without rigorous analysis of such arguments, policymakers are prone to accept misperceptions of globalization that are politically expedient.

Globalization, as defined in this course, means the reduction of barriers to the exchange of goods, services, and ideas across national borders. In the past three decades, a constellation of technological, economic, and political changes have drastically reduced barriers to international exchange.

Technologically, innovations in containerization and telecommunications have minimized the costs of moving goods from point to point.

Economically, financial innovations and the growth of multinational corporations have made it easier for capital to move from one country to another.

Politically, states have been willing to reduce tariffs, non-tariff barriers, and obstacles to investment, magnifying the importance of the aforementioned economic and technological innovations.

The Internet is the epitome of this trend. There are minimal costs (in developed economies) to getting on line, and once on the World Wide Web, there is no distinction between purchasing goods made in the same zip code and goods made ten time zones away. And the traditional sources of authority in world politics, nation-states, have tolerated or even promoted these developments.

2003-03-14T12:02:00.000-08:00

COURSE OVERVIEW

The course is divided into four discrete sections. The introductory sessions nail down the definition of globalization (the previous paragraph sounds very good, but maybe it’s wrong), and then discuss the panoply of theories about globalization. Understanding these different theoretical lenses will prove useful for the rest of the course.

The second section expands our understanding of the economic effects globalization. Does globalization enrich or impoverish the global population? Does globalization imply an era of permanent financial instability? Does the increase in capital mobility enable or constrain labor? Are states hampered in their ability to regulate their economies? Obviously, these effects are contested, but there are some clear conclusions to draw.

The third section looks at the political ramifications of globalization. Are international and nongovernmental organizations more important actors? What is the future of the nation-state? Can globalization reduce conflict and promote human rights? More generally, how does globalization affect the balance of power in the world? Here, the answers are undoubtedly murkier.

The final section examines normative issues that globalization bring up. First, to what extent is globalization merely an informal economic empire? Second, does globalization imperil our sense of democracy? Third, how does globalization affect ethical principles?

Not bad for ten weeks.

2003-03-14T12:01:00.000-08:00

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:

I will expect a number of things from you in this course. First, and more important, this is a course for advanced undergraduates and graduate students. This means that I expect you to have done all of the readings in advance and that you are prepared to discuss them in section with your TAs [NOTE: This does not mean talking for talking's sake, it means making incisive observations that display original thinking]. These sections are for discussing both the readings and lectures, and to provide you with an opportunity to debate the extremely debatable issues before us. I place great importance on this: you will note that a fair percentage of your grade is determined by your class participation. Read all of the assigned materials before class meets. I am aware that this is not the only course you will be taking, and I have really, really tried to keep the number of pages per week down. Scanning the syllabus, you will probably believe this claim to be insincere, but trust me, there is a lot that is being left out.

The globalization phenomenon is always in the news, and I will be dredging up current events from time to time. Keep apprised of current issues regarding globalization. This means you should read a good daily newspaper (the New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Financial Times) and/or the Economist. The TAs and myself will occasionally link to a story here on the blog.

One requirement will be for you to write a 5-7 page paper that dissects conflicting or confused media accounts of globalization. The paper should look at a particular dimension of globalization covered in the first half of the class (globalization and inequality, for example), and then examine how that phenomenon is treated in a sample of newspaper or magazine accounts.

Another requirement for this class will be to write an analytical review of a popular book on globalization (click here for the list of possible choices). By popular, I mean a book that has been clearly written for a mass audience rather than for a scholarly audience. Your review should summarize the book’s argument, assess its internal logic, contrast its thesis with the theories of globalization posited in the course, and determine its empirical validity. It should also be clear about what misperceptions, if any, the book would engender.

Finally, there will be a take-home final exam. It is open-book and open-note, and intended to be relatively painless. All told, your grade in this course will be determined as follows:

Class participation 25%
Short paper 15%
Analytical paper 30%
Final exam 30%

2003-03-14T11:58:00.000-08:00

SAMPLE BOOKS TO REVIEW:

Thomas Friedman, The Lexis and the Olive Tree

John Gray, False Dawn

William Greider, One World, Ready or Not

Michael Hardt and Antonio Negri, Empire.

Naomi Klein, No Logo

David Korten, When Corporations Rule The World

Brink Lindsey, Against the Dead Hand

Daniel Litvin, Empires of Profit

Richard Rosecrance, Rise of the Virtual State

Arundhati Roy, Power Politics

George Soros, The Crisis of Global Capitalism

Alan Tonelson, The Race to the Bottom.

2003-03-11T13:06:00.000-08:00

TOPIC 1: What the hell does globalization mean?

Robert Keohane and Joseph Nye, “Globalization: What's New? What's Not? (And So What?)” Foreign Policy 118 (Spring 2000).

2003-03-11T13:04:00.000-08:00

TOPIC 2: Theoretical lenses to study globalization (two sessions)

Ronnie Lipschutz, “Reconstructing World Politics: The Emergence of a Global Civil Society.” Millennium 21 (Spring 1992), p. 393.

Kenneth Waltz, “Globalization and Governance,” PS: Political Science and Politics 32 (December 1999): 693-700.

John W. Meyer, “Globalization: Sources and Effects on Nation States and Societies.” International Sociology 15 (June 2000): 233-248.

James H. Mittelman, “Globalization: An Ascendant Paradigm?” International Studies Perspectives 3 (February 2002): 1-14.

Daniel W. Drezner, “Globalizers of the World, Unite!” The Washington Quarterly 21 (Winter 1998): 209-225.

GRAD ONLY: Daniel W. Drezner, “Globalization and Policy Convergence.” International Studies Review 3 (Spring 2001): 53-78.

2003-03-11T12:53:00.000-08:00

TOPIC 3: Globalization, economic convergence, and the varieties of capitalism

Vito Tanzi, “Globalization and the Future of Social Protection,” IMF working paper, January 2000.

Layna Mosley, “Room to Move: International Financial Markets and The Welfare State,” International Organization 54 (Autumn 2000): 737-774.

Geoffrey Garrett, “Global Markets and National Politics: Collision Course or Virtuous Circle?” International Organization 52 (Autumn 1998): 787-824.

GRAD ONLY: Peter Hall and David Soskice, eds., Varieties of Capitalism: The Institutional Foundations of Comparative Advantage (New York: Oxford University Press, 2001), chapter one.

2003-03-11T12:48:00.000-08:00

TOPIC 4: Globalization, poverty, and inequality (one and a half sessions)

Bhalla, Imagine There’s No Country, chapters 1, 5, 9, 11, 12.

Ethan Kapstein, “Winners and Losers in the Global Economy,” International Organization 54 (Spring 2000): 359-384.

Dani Rodrik, “Trading In Illusions,” Foreign Policy 123 (March/April 2001).

David Dollar and Aart Kraay, “Spreading the Wealth,” Foreign Affairs (January/February 2002): 120-134

2003-03-11T12:44:00.000-08:00

TOPIC 5: Financial instability in the new world order (one and a half sessions)

Stiglitz, Globalization and Its Discontents, chapters 3-4.

Benjamin J. Cohen, “The Triad and the Unholy Trinity: Problems of International Monetary Cooperation,” in Jeffry Frieden and David Lake, eds., International Political Economy, third edition (New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1995).

Sebastian Edwards, “How Effective are Capital Controls?” Journal of Economic Perspectives 13 (March 1999): 65-84.

Michael Bordo, Barry Eichengreen, Daniela Klingebiel and M.S. Martinez-Peria, “Is the Crisis Problem Growing More Severe?” Economic Policy 32 (Spring 2001): 53-82.

GRAD ONLY: John Williamson, “The Role of the IMF: A Guide to the Reports.” Institute for International Economics working paper, May 2000.

2003-03-11T12:41:00.000-08:00

TOPIC 6: Globalization and the regulation of labor

O’Brien et al, Contesting Global Governance, chapter three.

Graham, Fighting the Wrong Enemy, chapter four

Nita Rudra, “Globalization and the Decline of the Welfare State in Less-Developed Countries,” International Organization 56 (Spring 2002): 411-445.

2003-03-11T12:38:00.000-08:00

TOPIC 7: Environmental effects of globalization

Graham, Fighting the Wrong Enemy, chapter five.

John W. Meyer et al, “The Structuring of a World Environmental Regime, 1870-1990,” International Organization 51 (Autumn 1997): 623-651.

Kal Raustiala, “Domestic Institutions and International Regulatory Cooperation: Comparative Responses to the Convention on Biological Diversity,” World Politics 49 (Summer 1997): 482-509.

GRAD ONLY: Kim, Young Ho, “The Conditions of Effective NGO Policy Advocacy: An Analysis of Two International Environmental Treaties.” Presented at the International Studies Association annual meeting, New Orleans, LA, March 2002

2003-03-11T12:32:00.000-08:00

TOPIC 8: The empowerment of non-state actors?

Paul Wapner, “Politics Beyond the State: Environmental Activism and World Civic Politics,” World Politics 47 (April 1995): 311-340.

Peter Haas, “Introduction: Epistemic Communities and International Policy Coordination,” International Organization 46 (Spring 1992): 1-35. Available at: http://www.jstor.org.

Ann Marie Clark, Elizabeth Friedman, and Kathryn Hochstetler, “The Sovereign Limits of Global Society,” World Politics 51 (October 1998): 1-35.

GRAD ONLY: Kal Raustiala, “States, NGOs, and International Environmental Institutions.” International Studies Quarterly 41 (December 1997): 719-740.

2003-03-11T12:19:00.000-08:00

TOPIC 9: Private actors and private orders

A. Claire Cutler, Virginia Haufler, and Tony Porter, Private Authority and International Affairs (Albany: SUNY Press, 1999), chapter one.

Jennifer Clapp, “The Privatization of Global Environmental Governance: ISO 14000 and the Developing World,” Global Governance 4 (July/September 1998): 295-316.

Daniel W. Drezner, “The Global Governance of the Internet: Bringing the State Back In,” Political Science Quarterly, forthcoming.

GRAD ONLY: Kelly Kollman, “Private Authority and International Environmental Governance.” Working paper, George Washington University, Washington, DC, Fall 2001.

2003-03-11T12:13:00.000-08:00

TOPIC 10: The case of the Multilateral Agreement on Investment

Graham, Fighting the Wrong Enemy, chapters 1-3.

Steven J. Kobrin, “The MAI and the Clash of Globalizations,” Foreign Policy 111 (Fall 1998): 97-109.

Ronald Deibert, “International Plug ‘n Play? Citizen Activism, the Internet, and Global Public Policy.” International Studies Perspectives 1 (July 2000): 255-272.

2003-03-11T12:10:00.000-08:00

TOPIC 11: Transnational social movements

O'Brien et al, Contesting Global Governance, chapters 1, 5-6.

Walden Bello, "The Global Conjuncture: Characteristics and Challenges." Keynote speech at the National Convention against Globalization, New Delhi, India, March 21, 2001.

Joel Krieger, "Egalitarian Social Movements in Western Europe: Can They Survive Globalization and the EMU?" International Studies Review 1 (Fall 1999): 69-84

2003-03-11T12:06:00.000-08:00

TOPIC 12: How is globalization changing global governance?

Jessica Tuchman Matthews, “Power Shift.” Foreign Affairs 76 (January/February 1997): 50-66.

Anne-Marie Slaughter, “The Real New World Order,” Foreign Affairs 76 (September/October 1997): 183-197.

Daniel W. Drezner, “Who Rules? The Regulation of Globalization.” Paper presented at the 2002 Annual Meeting of the American Political Science Association, Boston, August 29-September 1, 2002

2003-03-11T12:00:00.000-08:00

TOPIC 13: Globalization and human rights

Emilie Hafner–Burton, “External Pressures and Human Rights: The State of the Globalization Debate.” Paper presented at the 2002 Annual Meeting of the American Political Science Association, Boston, August 29-September 1, 2002.

Deborah Spar, “The Spotlight and the Bottom Line: How Multinationals Export Human Rights.” Foreign Affairs 77 (March/April 1998): 7-12.

Ross E. Burkhart, “Humane Globalization? The Clash of Human Rights and Globalization Agendas in the Quest for Development.” Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Political Science Association, San Francisco, August 30-September 2, 2001.

2003-03-11T11:55:00.000-08:00

TOPIC 14: How does economic globalization affect state security? (two class sessions)

Chua, World on Fire, p. 1-48, 77-146, 163-176.

Stephen G. Brooks, “The Globalization of Production and the Changing Benefits of Conquest.” Journal of Conflict Resolution 43 (October 1999): 646-670

Richard Price, “Reversing the Gun Sights: Transnational Civil Society Targets Land Mines,” International Organization 52 (Summer 1998): 613-644.

Michele Zanini and Sean J. A. Edwards, “The Networking of Terror in the Information Age,” in John Arquilla and David F. Ronfeldt, eds., Networks & Netwars: The Future of Terror, Crime, and Militancy (Santa Monica: RAND Corporation, 2001).

Moisés Naim, “The Five Wars of Globalization,” Foreign Policy (January/February 2003).

GRAD ONLY: David Rowe, “World Economic Expansion and National Security in Pre-World War I Europe,” International Organization 53 (Spring 1999): 195-232.

2003-03-11T11:48:00.000-08:00

TOPIC 15: Is globalization a polite word for Americanization?

Chua, World On Fire, chapter 11.

Stiglitz, Globalization and Its Discontents, chapters 8-9.

U.S. Executive Office of the President, The National Security Strategy of the United States of America. September 2002.

Robert Kagan, “Power and Weakness.” Policy Review 113 (June/July 2002): 54-66.

2003-03-11T11:45:00.000-08:00

TOPIC 16: Globalization and global governance: is democracy threatened?

Kimberly Ann Elliott, Debayani Kar, and J. David Richardson, “Assessing Globalization’s Critics: ‘Talkers are No Good Doers???’” Institute for International Economics working paper, May 2002.

Klaus Dieter Wolf, “The New Raison D’Etat as a Problem for Democracy in World Society.” European Journal of International Relations 5 (Fall 1999): 333-363.

Jon C. Pevehouse, “Democracy from the Outside-In? International Organizations and Democratization,” International Organization 56 (Summer 2002): 515-549.

GRAD ONLY: Viktor Vanberg, “Globalization, Democracy, and Citizens’ Sovereignty: Can Competition Among Governments Enhance Democracy?” Constitutional Political Economy 11 (March 2000): 87-112.

2003-03-11T11:34:00.000-08:00

TOPIC 17: The ethics of globalization

Singer, One World: The Ethics of Globalization, selected chapters.

GRAD ONLY: Ethan Kapstein, “Distributive Justice and International Trade,” Ethics and International Affairs 13 (1999):