Introduction to Introduction to Politics and Politics and GlobalizationGlobalizationDr Daniel Pierre-Antoine

Spring 2012

• Introduction to politics & globalization

• Course organization & requirements

TodayToday

General remarksGeneral remarks

Who/what is “global politics” about?Who/what is “global politics” about?

• A complex world

• Many actors & issues

• Conflict & cooperation

• The need to define politics…

Actors•Corporations•Indigenous peoples•Intergovernmental organizations•Individuals•Nations•Non-governmental organizations*•Organized crime syndicates•States•Workers•Tourists

Issues•Arms & arms control•Cooperation•Culture •Democracy•Diplomacy•Environment•Finance•Human rights•International law•Migration•Terrorism•Trade •War

Defining politicsDefining politics

• Life in a polis, hence politics

• “Who gets what, when, and how” (H. Lasswell)

• Any discussion about the “good life”

• Conflicts of worldview, values & interests

• Power relations

• Treating the state as the main actor

• Looking at the state – its government– what it says– what it does

• Assuming that the state is the only voice in international affairs

• Focusing on “high politics” (diplomacy & defence) & downplaying the rest

State-centrism: A bad habitState-centrism: A bad habit

Characteristics of the stateCharacteristics of the state

• An idealized view1. Government2. Defined territory3. Permanent population4. Monopoly of legitimate use of force

internally & externally5. Recognition by other states

• A gross oversimplification

• Country, state, nation-state: moral persons (as opposed to natural persons)

ex.: Burkina Faso, Canada, China, Tuvalu

• Nation, people: population that inhabits a country/state/nation-state

ex.: the Burkinabè, Canadians, the Chinese, Tuvaluans

• Government: group of people & institutions that rule a country/state/nation-state* and its population

The need to clarify some often-The need to clarify some often-misused termsmisused terms

Explaining the Explaining the obsession with the stateobsession with the state

The Thirty Years’ War, 1618-1648The Thirty Years’ War, 1618-1648

• Result of the Protestant Reformation

• A 3-way conflict

• Most European states involved

ProtestantProtestantstatesstates

CatholicsCatholicsstatesstates

Holy SeeHoly See(Vatican)(Vatican)

War War

Dispute

The Peace of Westphalia (1648) & The Peace of Westphalia (1648) & sovereigntysovereignty

• Holy See & Catholic states recognize Protestant states

• Catholic states recognize Holy See’s spiritual power…

• But get political independence

• The obvious result: – governments get choose the

official religion– and make other decisions

independently of the Holy See

(document, text, signing ceremony)

State sovereignty State sovereignty & the international system& the international system

• Ideal conditions– ability to manage its internal affairs – ability to represent itself independently

externally– a principle of non-interference by other

states• States are basic political & legal units of

the system– Hence the expressions “international

system”, “interstate system”, “Westphalian system”

Painting a Painting a more accurate picturemore accurate picture

““Globalization” & global politicsGlobalization” & global politics

• Often used, seldom defined• Invoked as a

– source of peace, wealth, freedom, democracy & apple pie

– cause of social, economic, environmental problems & bad-hair days

• In reality– not necessarily good or bad– multidimensional

Defining globalizationDefining globalization

• Steger’s definition:

“The term globalization applies to a set of social processes that appear to transform our present social condition of weakening nationality into one of globality. At its core, then, globalization is about shifting forms of human contact.” Manfred Steger, Globalization: A Very Short Introduction, p. 9

Defining globalizationDefining globalization

David Held and Anthony McGrew’s definition:“…the term globalization captures

elements of a widespread perception that there is a broadening, deepening and speeding up of world-wide interconnectedness in all aspects of life, from the cultural to the criminal, the financial to the environmental. At issue appears to be 'a global shift'; that is, a world being moulded by economic and technological forces into a shared economic and political arena”, David Held and Anthony McGrew, “What is Globalization” http://www.polity.co.uk/global/whatisglobalization.asp

Multiple dimensions of globalizationMultiple dimensions of globalization

SecurityWar, civil war, arms races/arms control, terrorism, organized

crime

Politics, ideology, culture

International law and organizations, demo-

cratization, human rights, religion,

migration

EconomyTrade, finance, development, employment

EnvironmentPollution, global

warming, ozone de-pletion, deforestation, water scarcity, farm-

land scarcity

• Countless actors involved

• Opportunities for conflict & fragmentation

• Opportunities for cooperation

The importance of consciousnessThe importance of consciousness

• Relations across the world are not new

• But growing consciousness of them– invention of the word “globalization” (c. 1989)– frequency of use of the word “globalization”

• Globalization affects…– people’s thinking– people’s actions

Earlier forms Earlier forms of globalization?of globalization?

Roman Empire, c. 117 ADRoman Empire, c. 117 AD

Muslim empire, c. 750 ADMuslim empire, c. 750 AD

Muslim commercial routes, c. 800-1200Muslim commercial routes, c. 800-1200

Mongol empire, 1200sMongol empire, 1200s

European explorations, 1420-1580European explorations, 1420-1580

Major European trade routes, 1400-1800Major European trade routes, 1400-1800

European empires, 1850-1914European empires, 1850-1914

In sum…In sum…

• A very complex world

• Many issues

• Many different actors

• Many different problems

Course organization Course organization & requirements& requirements

Contact informationContact information

• Last name: Pierre-Antoine

• First name: Daniel

• Availability: Tuesday 12:30-13:30, DMS 9113

• Web: Virtual Campus

Course organizationCourse organization

• Material– “political”* issues, lectures 2-6– “economic”* issues, lectures 7-12

• Lectures– 2 related topics (usually)– break– discussion

* * These are artificial differences

ReadingsReadings

• Compulsory & equally important

• Complement the lectures

• One textbook bundle at The Agora bookstore (145 Besserer St.)– Steven Spiegel et al., World Politics in a New Era 5th Ed.

(Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press, 2009)– Manfred Steger, Globalization: A Very Short

Introduction 2nd Ed. (Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press, 2009)

• Other readings– Online: as indicated on the syllabus

• 8 discussion groups (15%)• starting 8 May• attendance is compulsory• days without discussion are indicated on the syllabus

• Midterm exam (35%)• 22 May, usual room, usual time• covers material from lectures 1-5• duration: 2 hours

• Final exam (50%)• 12 June, 9:00-12:00, ART 026• cumulative• duration: 3 hours

Dotting Dotting II’s and crossing ’s and crossing TT’s’s

• Grades & scholarships

• Email & office consultations etiquette

• University lectures can’t compete with entertainment & leisure

ConclusionConclusion

• For info, always check – the syllabus– the website– 95% of answers are there

• Do the readings regularly

• Attend classes

Questions?Questions?

Next class: War & security