Assignment #2
Yohanan Zemichael
PSCI 2602: A03
October 11, 2012
The framework of global political economy has evolved through a series of historical periods. For this paper, I will be comparing the overall structure and organization of the global political economy during the Bretton Woods period (1945-1975) and the Contemporary period (1975-2010). The main objective will be the United States’ projection of political power throughout these two historical periods. By comparing, the Bretton Woods period and the Contemporary period, it can be determined that the US projects its political power on the global political economy. Before understanding the role of the US in the global political economy
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This placed the US in a position to assume the responsibility of leadership. In addition, it can be seen that through the Bretton Woods system, the US used its power over the global economy to protect its own interests against those of the rest of the world (Strange, 1987). This is closely tied to Susan Strange’s theory of the US being the undisputed hegemon. Strange states that US hegemony is evident in the Bretton Woods system, because the United States dollar became the fixed backing of currencies and a reserve currency for all the member states; this ultimately gave the US unilateral control over the global economy (Strange, 1987). Consequently, this led to the collapse of the Bretton Woods System in 1971, which brought the world into economic decline. Although the Bretton Woods System did not last, through the establishment of US hegemony, it brought the development of international regimes such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank, and the General Agreements on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) (Strange, 1987). All in all, it is clear that the Bretton Woods system was lead by America’s dominant and influential power. In comparison to the Bretton Woods period, US political power continued to be evident in the global political economy during the Contemporary period. Although the Bretton Woods period had ended, the United States still retained an enormous amount of structural power, which was reflected by
The years between 1860 and 1877 are filled with many developments in the views of the American people. The North consisted of free states based on an industrial economy while the South based its agricultural economy on the enslavement of colored males and females. The two sections of America had two very different views on how the United States should become a world power. Constitutional developments such as secession of the Southern states in 1860, the Emancipation Proclamation, and other acts and amendments contributed to more discontent throughout the country. Developments such as the Black Codes, Freedmen's Bureau, and the creation of the Ku Klux Klan contributed to the Social aspect of the argument. Problems like these had been amounting
No one was stopping the force of America’s dominance that has characterized global affairs since America’s entrance into the world stage of great powers following its victories in the Spanish-American war of 1898 (Farrenkopf). Their incidental rise, partly due to country’s many natural advantages at its disposal, including large population and landmass, oceanic protection from Europe and East Asia, natural resources and favorable climate, is largely credited by the authors to its liberal institutions,
In being so, liberalism possesses both economic and political components. Economic liberalism argues that, increasing economic interdependence would lead to a more peaceful international realm. Political liberalism bases itself on the belief that ‘A just world order assumes the establishment of republics ’. Thus, political liberalism as practiced by the United States during Cold War becomes a critical proponent of democracy promotion by noting that overlapping national interests will allow for a tamer international environment, engendering the notion that democracies do not engage in wars. Although democracy as interpreted by liberal theory on its own does not lead to free market, it may create the necessary infrastructure for such an event to occur. The promotion of democracy, to a great extent, increases economic interdependence through the alignment of core national values and therefore decreasing the probability of hegemony between the states. However, The notion of liberalism was undermined in the literature of the United States foreign policy after the Cold War. Even though the states were economically interdependent during the Cold War yet they engaged in rivalry for resources to the extent that if, assumingly, the “World Trade Organization” came to be perceived as a corrupt institution,
After World War II, a state of tension between the United States and the Soviet Union took place from 1945 to 1991. Although these two nations had previously fought as allies their relationship quickly took a turn for the worst when the argument had risen over whether communism or democracy was the right way of government. The Soviet Union was determined to spread communism all over the world but The United States did everything in their power to try and stop it. Over the course of the Cold War the US gained much potential and power due to their efforts to dominate over the USSR. One of the main reasons the US gained power was because of the Marshall Plan that was signed off by president Truman in 1948. This Plan was devised as a way
The question I chose for the essay is what are the most important aspects of the US Government’s power? It can clearly be said that it is essentially the structure and functionality of the country’s government, the profoundness of its constitution and the fervent commitment of its leaders to the national objectives. The United States of America is among those rare nations that have a remarkably rich history. Throughout the course of history, the United States has faced many challenges, but still survived due to the loyalty of its people, and the commitment of the country’s phenomenal leadership. “In the everyday politics of the home front, Loyalty proved even more difficult to define than in Royce’s philosophical system. 175” (Capozzola, 2008). Till date, the United States Government has been served by a total of 44 presidents, every one of whom has done his part in reshaping the future of what today is a global super power. Under the Government of the United States, the president is the head of the state, responsible for making all the key decisions for the country and its counterparts.
Interviewer: Hello, Mr. Chomsky. Today I would like to talk to you about your book: Hegemony or Survival. Firstly, let’s start off by having you answer the question of what hegemony is?
Based on the powerpoints from this week, white Europeans seem to accept widely racial hierarchy and physically distinct groups. Because of this, people that were not the same, they were treated differently. These groups believed they are far superior to others, and they feel it’s their right and other members of society justify it. Financial and political oppression brought about being lowest in the white order at the top.
American foreign policy relates to what is done in foreign countries by the United States of America. The foreign policies include controlling of the governments of foreign countries or setting some rules in those countries. The foreign policy of America has always been changing all through the US existence. The changes have stemmed from the dynamics of exogenous and substantial influences of watershed up to the international system and also the effects and changes of endogenous inside the government of the United States. Outstanding assertions like the policies of Monroe, intercontinental encounters such as the Second World War, War of the Spanish and Americans, and the cold war and also conflicts that were termed as local including the Korean War and the Vietnam War considerably shaped the American foreign policy (Kissinger et al., 1969).
One of the major realist dimensions for the Western political order is American hegemony. With the end of the Cold War, American hegemony appeared to be the supreme power of the world (Deudney and Ikenberry, 1999). It can be seen, American economic power revealed in international financial institutions such as IMF, WB and WTO. As a dominant member in WTO, the United States Forced the weaker states to accept the organization’s rules on international trade, otherwise, they will lose if they choose not to follow the rules (Hawthorn, 1999). In addition, Deudney and Ikenberry (1999) state that liberals see transnational relations as the establishment of alternative system that will
America has been a world power for as long as anyone can remember. But how did it become what it is today? Through decades of racism and greed! Our country is one of the most racist country’s there has ever been! But without it America would be nothing like it is today. Slavery made America and racism made it grow. America has proven itself to be a selfish, greedy, and racist country.
Today, the United States is known around the world as an independent world power that strives to lead the world in granting freedom and independence for all of it’s citizens. But our country’s first colonists had a much different experience than American’s do today. They had little control over the colonies themselves. The colonies were taxed randomly, and were given no representation in their government. As the colonists began to be greatly displeased with this situation they began a revolution that would bring about the creation of one of the most important documents in our country’s history.
To discuss its historic background I will concentrate on the Bretton Woods System. Bretton Woods System is an international currency system started form 1944 July at the end of the Second World War. This system require each country to obey the rule that they tied its currency to gold in order to keep the exchange rate stable and prevent the currencies from devaluation. The establishment of this system ensure the resume and development of capitalist world economy especially America. Although this system ultimately disintegrated in 1973, it still make significant contributions to America’s irreplaceable role today.
In the current anarchic world, The United States acts as the global hegemon. However, China’s recent rise to power has lead international relations experts, Ikenberry, Mearsheimer, Subramanian, and Friedberg, to predict an upcoming power shift in the international system. China’s increasing control over the Asia-Pacific region has threatened U.S. power. According to Waltz, the realism paradigm interprets the anarchic structure of the international community, as a constant power struggle. Although each country may be different, to survive, they must all strive for power. Under the liberalism paradigm, the system is still anarchical but cooperation may be achieved by shared norms, and aligned political and economical interests.
Global Political Economy is essentially a study of a political battle between the winners and losers of global economic exchange. In fact, understanding global economy relies on a clear knowledge of the process of political competition. Political power possessed by actors regulates economic activity and in turn this creates the basis for and affects political power. Through, critical analysis of the concept of global political economy it becomes clear that there are three prominent theories that form GPE, mercantilism, economic liberalism and Marxism.
In "The Paradox of American Power: Why the World 's Only Superpower Can 't Go It Alone," Joseph S. Nye, Jr., dean of Harvard 's Kennedy School of Government, describes the distinction between his self- discovered and established terms “soft” and “hard” power exponentially through a plethora of definitions and occurrences. Soft power represents the actions a nation takes that influences other countries to do as they please without force, “…it co-opts people rather than coerces them.” Instead of remaining consistently focused on how to frighten and threateningly encourage the international military coincidence of following America’s command’s (hard power), there must be an overlapping semi- equivalence of both. This is in order for America to succeed while also avoiding the slow deterioration within the indestructible pessimistic mindset of abrasive foreign policy.