World Puts the Brakes on the Rush to Globalization

A backlash against globalization flourishes in countries that have benefited from active trade, including the US and China. Author Steven Pearlstein cites the failure of Doha, the polarized Mexican electorate and the US debate on immigration as evidence of the continued potency of the nation-state and the national economy. Rather than preaching about the dangers of protectionism and nationalistic economic policies, according to Pearlstein, policymakers must come to terms with a new and messy democratic phase of globalization – particularly in locales with uneven distribution of globalization’s benefits. Without fair distribution both globally and within communities, Pearlstein warns that voters will continue to distrust and reject policies that encourage open trade and global interaction. – YaleGlobal