Regionalism and Globalisation

Question 1

what is globalisation?

Answer 1

the increasing interdependence and interconnectedness of states in the world

3 main types – economic, political and cultural

Question 2

what is the relationship between regionalism and globalisation?

Answer 2

each type of globalisation can be seen to be heightened by regionalism, where states in a region co-operate on an economic, security or political level

Is regionalism an aid or barrier to globalisation — Regionalism can be seen as either helping to protect against globalisation or turbocharging it

Question 3

example of a link between regionalism and globalisation (economic globalisation seen in the EU, NAFTA and ASEAN)

Answer 3

attempts by the EU, NAFTA and ASEAN to increase trade between their member states is directly in line with economic globalisation

many economists see this as positive because more trade is good for a state’s economy as it brings greater competition and economies of scale

however, many also see such increased trade as negative because there will always be individual losers who cannot effectively compete in larger and tougher markets, which can lead to job losses and the scaling back of industries

Question 4

further link between regionalism and globalisation (regionalism can be a force to defend against globalisation)

Answer 4

regional organisations defend against globalisation reducing state sovereignty by pooling the sovereignty of states and even allowing states to obtain more power and influence

regional organisations enable states to improve their leverage in the international system against global companies and develop their comparative advantage, which is a reason why many states join

Question 5

the link between political globalisation and regionalism

Answer 5

political globalisation and regionalism are linked as they are effectively the same thing: the co-operation of states to aid governance and solve mutual problems

The importance of competing in a global economic market and the need to present a united political force on the world stage are both inherently a consequence of globalisation

Question 6

what do critics of globalisation criticise regionalism for doing?

Answer 6

critics of globalisation criticise regionalism and regional organisations as enhancing and furthering globalisation

arguing that the impact on industries, communities and jobs has been brought about by the increasing ease of trade in regional economic bodies like the EU, NAFTA and ASEAN

Question 7

economic regionalism and globalisation:

Answer 7

Economic globalisation has been met by the creation of economic regional organisations designed to promote trade and financial cooperation within the member states

NAFTA is the north Atlantic free trade association between Canada Mexico and the US and was put together to create a trade block in North America

However the agreement has been criticised by economic isolationists in the US such as President Donald Trump who see the deal as unfair on the USA

Question 8

economic regionalism and globalisation:

Answer 8

This is one of the main problems plaguing regional organisations there will always be individual states who accrue major advantages from the organisation and others who benefit less

it is also the case that this would be true of globalisation in general

regional organisations sometimes receive the blame for policy outcomes that are actually the result of globalisation in general and not a specific result of the regional organisation

Question 9

economic regionalism and globalisation:

Answer 9

And important debate over economic regional organisations has arisen in Britain over leaving the EU

Members of the campaign to leave the EU argued that the EU was costing the British economy huge amounts in public money that EU regulations were stifling British competitiveness and that Britain would be able to achieve better trade outcomes outside of the EU

However those in favour of remaining in the EU argued on the contrary that the countries of the EU were the U.K.’s greatest trading partners and remaining in the trade block would ensure continued access to the EU market which in turn was necessary for the UK economy to remain as strong as it could

Question 10

economic regionalism and globalisation:

Answer 10

The complexity of the debate surrounding Brexit reflects the myriad of different ways in which different political tribes think about economic regionalism and globalisation

Those who favoured leave argued that more access to the global market would benefit the UK and leaving the EU would make sure that Britain could be economically competitive

However those who favoured remain prefer the option of remaining in a trade block set up by countries hope to strengthen their economies in a globalised world

In the end Leave won the referendum but the debate over the effect leaving will have on the UK economy and the relationship the UK should help with the EU after Brexit rages on

Question 11

economic regionalism and globalisation:

Answer 11

The relationship between economic regionalism and globalisation is based on the idea that states which work together can insure their success in a global market better than the states working independently

Question 12

economic regionalism and globalisation:

Answer 12

However opponents of regionalism argue that it is another way for strong state to come together in order to exclude weak states from economic co-operation

The EU is particularly open to this criticism working as an exclusive club of wealthy economies which impose tariffs on external states

Question 13

economic regionalism and globalisation:

Answer 13

Regional organisations have also been accused of helping TNCs to expand their influence rather than benefiting the lives of citizens

TNCs such as Coca-Cola have spread across the world at an unprecedented rate and scale — there are now only two reported countries in the world which do not have Coca-Cola: North Korea and Cuba

This is connected to the criticism of cultural globalisation that many diverse regional cultures are becoming increasingly homogenised

Question 14

economic regionalism and globalisation:

Answer 14

The spread of TNCs across the world might be aided by regional organisations which insure the easier movement of capital

but overall economic globalisation happens regardless of regional organisations and some regional organisations such as the EU have taken steps to protect cultural artefacts in the region

For example champagne Cornish pasties and Gorgonzola can only be produced in certain places to bear the name

This is at least one way in which regional organisations through their powerful regulations can limit the destructive impact of cultural homogenisation through globalisation

Question 15

economic regionalism and globalisation:

Answer 15

Overall economic regionalism is a response to the financial and trade pressures of the global market

States attempt to protect themselves from the possibility of weakening there economies by joining together to implement preferential trade policies

Economic regional organisations such as the EU are not necessarily protectionist but they do always mean that trade between member states is easier and more profitable than trade outside

Overall economic regionalism as a consequence of globalisation but it has also through incentivising foreign trade increased the importance of the global market

Question 16

economic regionalism and globalisation:

Answer 16

The economic criticisms of regionalism often depend on whether the country affected does well or poorly out of the economic regional organisation

A country that does well is less likely to complain about the regional organisation than a state that does poorly

Question 17

political regionalism and globalisation:

Answer 17

an argument which is nearly always deployed against political regionalism which is a form of political globalisation is that it undermines state sovereignty

When states come together in political regional organisations nearly always results in some states taking on policies they would not otherwise have agreed to because of political pressure from other states

The EU is a particularly strong example of this because it enforces laws over all of the European Union states using the European Court of Justice

but all regional organisations do it to a greater or lesser extent through trade agreements or regulations

Question 18

political regionalism and globalisation:

Answer 18

Opponents of regional organisations argue that they undermine democracy

When states pool sovereignty they give up their ability to govern their own territory alone

This was another major argument used by the campaign for Britain to leave the EU it was argued that the EU undermine democracy because the people of the UK were being governed by laws they did not vote for

This became particularly politically salient when linked to migration policy

the inability of the UK to set its own inter-EU migration targets within the European single market was an important talking point of the leave side of the campaign and an issue which proved to resonate with voters

Question 19

political regionalism and globalisation:

Answer 19

The mass movement of people across state boundaries is another characteristic a result of globalisation

The EU allows free movement of its citizens between member states which is seen by its critics as another factor accelerating the mass movement of people

Question 20

political regionalism and globalisation:

Answer 20

The extent to which different regional organisations encourage movement completely depends on the organisation

For example after is linked to immigration by opponents of laughter such as Donald Trump but because it makes trade between the USA and Mexico easier it could actually be reducing the need for Mexicans to cross the border to the US in order to find work by stimulating the Mexican economy and encouraging them to stay

Donald Trump has argued that immigration control should be a part of any new NAFTA deal in order to limit the number of migrants moving between the NAFTA signatory states

Question 21

political regionalism and globalisation:

Answer 21

Overall political globalisation and regionalism are closely related

Regionalism is a form of political globalisation it includes states who had previously operated in opposition to one another or purely in their own interests coming together politically in order to pursue their interests