Political Science 144: Intro To International Relations
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Summary and Lecture notes for Political Science 144 Term 1
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Course
Political Science 144: Intro To International Relations
Institution
Stellenbosch University (SUN)
Book
The Globalization of World Politics
This document is a summary of the lectures and the textbook. The notes are in depth and allowed me to pass Cum Laude for the module, thus have sufficient information to stufy from.
Summary The Globalization of World Politics, ISBN: 9780198796367 IR110L-21712
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Political Science 144: Intro To International Relations
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Political Science 144:
The Globalization of World Politics 2nd international edition:
Chapter 1: Globalization and Global Politics:
Globalization: A contested concept:
A “slippery”, overused and controversial concept? Bigger as a term, more
encompassing of other actors of global affairs, not only nation states but also
important individuals eg pope, Mandela, Gates or other entities such as international
non-government org or multilateral org eg UN, green peace, the catholic church.
Refers to more actors than simply internationalization (Vs. “Internationalisation”
reference to nation states)
Its fundamental meaning: widening, deepening, and speeding up of worldwide
interconnectedness and interdependence isn’t much agreement of what
globalization means or what it implies for the world, whether its good or bad. The
ideological perspective will inform whether one thinks it is good or bad. Is it
disruptive/good/both
How can it be usefully conceptualized and defined?
How is it manifest today?
What is the political fallout of globalization? (How is it disruptive?) problem lies
within the process of becoming one in the world, collapsing cultures etc, doesn’t
provide everyone with equal benefits. Good = expand, get rich etc. could also
exclude you
Trade as a major driver:
In any given day, more than $4 trillion flows across the world’s foreign exchange
markets
Transnational corporations account for more than a quarter of world output, and
two thirds of world trade to illustrate tensions = would you rather be the King of
Lesotho or the owner of Microsoft.
No national economy and government can insulate itself from the effects of turmoil
in global markets (e.g. global economic crisis of 2008) Very difficult for states to
insulate themselves from the influence of this unifying force. Only a country like
North Korea is still trying. Efforts to become autarchies (autarchy = state that tries to
go at it alone as much as possible), but given the realities of globalization that is
increasingly becoming impossible. No one state can be an island.
Another feature of trade and integration as a phenomenon that is part of
globalisation is the Global production structure in the world.
Case study 1: global production networks
, • How global is an iphone? your phone might say made in one country but its
intellectual property can reside in another. Who does it belong to? All kinds of rules
rules of origin
• Intellectual property
• Design
• Material supplier networks
• Manufacturing
• Transport
• Sales
• Trade dynamics. The rules and institutions to do with trade in the sub field of GPE
(global political economy) refer to a number of structures around the globe. There is
a single division of labour across the entire planet who makes what, when, where
and how. Production structure, where is it made. Financial structure – how is all of
this paid for, how does money cross borders. Security structure – is it safe to do this,
how are we keeping in protecting these markets. Knowledge structure – who owns
the patent for the making of the product and how they cross borders. A variety of
power structures govern the world.
• What we need in order to make sense of this and to keep this engine of production
going is an institution of global governance. Of course there is no world state/
government in place – some states may want to be in these kinds of powerful
countries but none have succeeded thus far. Closest = UN (they are in trouble)
Evidence of globalization:
Not only states matter!
More than 45,000 international NGOs work across the globe focus on particular issue
areas that are important to them, for example Covid – what are the health
institutions across the world that operate at a global level, climate change – what are
the rules and values institutions try to make sense of and mitigate the impact. Global
commons = those areas of interest in the world that can’t be pinned down in one
specific country. need to be governed in some way but we haven’t figured out
how. US is retreating atm.
Communication now makes it possible to connect like-minded people regardless of
distance
Global transport and migration has also increased as a result
There is a growing recognition of global problems that need global solutions
Conceptualizing globalization:
Stretching of social, political, and economic activities to have a direct or indirect
impact on all regions of the world
Intensification/growing magnitude of global interconnectedness in almost all spheres
of social existence
Accelerating pace of global interactions and processes due to the evolution of
worldwide systems of transport and communications
A deepening integration and interdependence of local and global events
, Globalization dissolves the significance of national borders and boundaries into
separate political entities (nations/ states)
It highlights the world as a shared social space
Central aspects of human affairs are increasingly organized on a transnational or
global scale
There is an ongoing process of time-space compression and deterritorialization
Bottom line = this has happened before but what makes the current globalization
unique is the scale at which it is happening. This scale/pace is made possible through
new tech and scientific developments around transport and communications.
Increasingly countries and states interdependent on one another.
Globalization – a definition:
a historical process involving a fundamental shift or transformation in the spatial scale of
human social organization that links distant communities and expands the reach of power
relations across regions and continents
The sceptical view of globalization:
Geopolitics, regionalization and nationalism are strong counter-forces
A dominant share of “globalization” is in fact “OECD-ization” (financial and economic
think tank based in Paris aka Paris club), as these countries are linked to a much
higher degree than others
Globalization is in fact the visible face of Western capitalism and US hegemony
Economic shocks may very well derail globalization processes
Think the concept is overblown or that it isn’t good for anyone and should be
countered. Usually these arguments come from a more nationalist perspective. Also
others who think it is good and worth pursuing
Globalization doesn’t only go in one direction, we have proven through the response
to 9/11 or financial crisis and Covid that the gains of globalization can be reversed (if
think these things are facilitated by globalization).
Criticism from the Global south (developing countries) that the benefits can be
gained tend to be concentrated in the rich world and for the rich
In the global south the benefits are uneven, inequalities persist and in many
instances become worse and institutions such as the World trade org and other
inter-governmental org try to iron out the differences but it is hard to find one single
effective way.
Interpreting Globalization:
The process is asymmetrical/uneven which will engender inequalities
Globalization is institutionalized, through new infrastructures of control and
communication (including IGOs such as the WTO, and transnational corporations)
Globalization and global politics:
, Long established Westphalian principles (sovereignty, autonomy & territoriality) are
challenged as states are embedded in complex webs of multilateral and
transnational decision-making
A global governance complex thus exists and is growing in importance especially
since WW2, we are in the process of putting in place the global governance complex
in a post state or a post Westphalian order beyond the nation state. Another
attempt at putting in a global mechanisms to govern this planet rather than
retreating into nation state but it hasn’t had much success. The UN and its
organizations subsumed within it is struggling to govern the world or to find a way
that is acceptable to all people.
This has led to an increased diversity in global political concerns, tackled by ever
more diverse actors and institutions
In this “post-Westphalian order”, non-state actors have thus gained relative
influence
NGOs, transnational networks, advocacy networks and citizen networks are
increasingly able to exercise power across national boundaries
Alongside the global governance complex, an embryonic transnational civil society is
taking shape organizations such as green peace and the churches and
organizations that look after specific issues, they come together eg access to
medicines, climate change, combatting Covid. These org do form a loose
transnational civil society outside of their home governments but very little power is
available to such org or transnational civil society as a whole.
Lack of formal accountability and resource inequalities are possible risk elements in
such a diverse system we can’t at a global level elect people to serve in such
organizations which look after/try to speak on behalf of those who are excluded
from state politics.
Opposing opinions: is globalization a source of order or disorder in world politics:
• Advocates:
- It promotes
o Interdependence
o Prosperity
o Human security
o Diffusion of democratic values
- Globalization therefore reduces the potential for conflict
• Opponents
- Globalization increases state rivalry
- It is premised on the promotion of western/liberal rather than different global
values, which is met with violent backlashes
- Globalization therefore increases the potential for conflict
Chapter 2: The rise of modern international order
The idea of international society:
Somewhere between a struggle of all against all and a world government
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