Assignment

1. What are the 2 factors contributing to our modern era of globalization?

    How does our modern era of globalization differ from previous eras?

2. What are the defining characteristics of the liberal view of the global economy?

3. What is the Bretton Woods system, and why was it created? What are the 3 institutions part of this system?

4. What is the WTO? What previous organization did it replace and WHY?

     What are the benefits and drawbacks of the WTO?

5. What is the main difference between the IMF and the World Bank?

6. What was the Washington Consensus period of the IMF? What are structural adjustments?

7. What are the 3 types of regional economic integration?

8. What is NAFTA? What are criticisms of it?

9. Discuss the European Union. Why is it classified as a supranational organization? How many members does it have? Where has the EU been successful? In what ways is there room for improvement?

10. Compare and contrast the national security view vs. human security view. What are the defining characteristics of each. Which paradigms support which view?

11. What are the main issues effecting the environment?

13. What are the three solutions proposed to handling the problem of the environment? Which paradigms would you respectively associate with each of these three solutions?

14. What is the Kyoto Protocol? Is the US party to it? (has it ratified it?) If not, why not?

15. What are the defining characteristics of the realist view of the global economy?

16. What are the defining characteristics of the neo-Marxist view of the global economy?

17. Stiglitz, "Globalism’s Discontents"

What does Stiglitz argue about globalization? What does he see as the strengths and weaknesses of globalization? How does Stiglitz view the work of international financial institutions such as the IMF or World Bank especially during the Washington Consensus period? What is his critique of these organizations?

18. Friedman, "The Dell Theory"

According to Friedman’s article what is the dell theory? (see page 294)

What does Friedman argue about countries such as Iraq, Syria, N. Korea, etc? (see page 296)

Does Friedman think the dell theory makes wars obsolete?

19. What are the similarities and differences between Stiglitz and Friedman? What worldview(s) do you think they are coming from?