In The News

El País: Globalization of Polarization

Moisés Naím January 28, 2019
Some political camps reject their opponents’ plans so much – even those supported by hefty majorities of citizens – that they refuse any cooperation, preferring shutdowns and chaos. Such is the case in the United States, Great Britain and numerous other democracies. The angry stubbornness associated with polarization is spreading worldwide, weakening most democracies. “Before, democratic...

TNI: Unused Citizen Power and Public Collateral

Ann Pettifor January 26, 2019
Citizen majorities who support action on climate change or a tax system that reduces inequality must find political courage to battle moneyed interests. Citizens in nations with sound taxation systems hold more power than they realize. Taxpayers can demand that public debt target the public interest – as former US President Franklin D. Roosevelt accomplished during the Great Depression and some...

Salon: 5 Key Trends in Globalization

Edward Goldberg December 30, 2018
Old forms of globalization linked to fear and nationalism – as “angry minority based coalitions determined the fate of the majority” – have reemerged over the past year, explains Edward Goldberg. He offers a list of the top globalization events for 2018 for Salon, and for each the world can repeat history or learn from past events to avoid trouble: After 40 years of opening to the global economy...

PIIE: What is Globalization?

Melina Kolb December 26, 2018
Perhaps it is human nature as so many people take credit for their every success but blame others – trade, migration, technological advances and other facets of globalization – for their woes. The Peterson Institute for International Economics undertakes the task of reminding about the age-old processes of globalization, urging an understanding of the relative costs and benefits to avoid the...

International Policy Digest: Chaos and Globalization

Daniel Alonso November 14, 2018
Globalization does not proceed in an orderly way. Instead, the pattern for globalization with trade and wars is often two steps forward, one step back. Daniel Alonso, writing for International Policy Digest, compares globalization of the late 19th century with modern forms in place since 1980. Trade and commerce developed during the 19th century, enriching many before coming to an abrupt halt...

The Conversation: How Globalization Transformed Mecca Pilgrimage Market

Seán McLoughlin August 22, 2018
Islam requires adherents to travel at last once for the annual Hajj to Mecca in Saudi Arabia. Modern transportation made the journey more feasible, and the number of pilgrims increased from 100,000 in the 1950s to more than 3 million in recent years. Saudi Arabia has imposed restrictions in recent years: Muslim-majority nations are subjected to a Hajj quota of 1,000 pilgrims per million of...

Harvard Political Review: Globalization as Growth Opportunity

Victor Agbafe July 25, 2018
Large numbers of voters in developed economies blame globalization for the loss of jobs and reduced wages. Yet automation is increasingly more responsible for job losses while globalization still provides benefits and many companies rely on global markets for growth. “In many cases, globalization has increased the choices of goods and services available to consumers while also lowering their...