INTL FINAL
Embedded Liberalism
- a term attributed to John Ruggie that refers to market processes and corporate activities backed by a web of social and political constraints and rewards to create a compromise between free trade globally and welfare at home -Embedded liberalism was founded after World War 2 in order to reform the path of the international economic order. Embedded Liberalism refers to the compromise of two conflicting objectives. The first objective was to revive free trade globally, While the second objective was to have national governments provide generous welfare at home to spur job growth. In other words, it is a balance between of protecting domestic economic affairs in order to return to global trade and investment. Embedded Liberalism also included a commitment was to create some kind of structure to monitor the world economic order. In turn, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) , the World Bank group, and the GATT which is now known as the World Trade Organization(WTO). Overall, embedded liberalism led to significant economic growth in the developed world. Thus, creating a wider gap between the developed and developing worlds.
Humanitarian Intervention
- the principle that the international community has a right and/or duty to intervene in states which have suffered large-scale loss of life or genocide, whether due to deliberate action by its governments or because of the collapse of governance -hard test for an international society built on principles of sovereignty, non-intervention, and the non-use of force -counter-restricitionists argue in favor of a legal right of humanitarian intervention based on interoperation of UN charter and customary international law(lawyers say this logic is flawed) -others believe moral duty that all individuals are entitled to minimum level of protection from common humanity - states may not intervene for primarily humanitarian purposes, often unwilling to help if put own citizens in harms way, may employ humanitarian claims to cloak pursuit of self interest, applied selectively -will always be based on cultural preferences of the world
Global Governance
-the loose framework of global regulation, both institutional and normative, that constrains conduct. It has many elements: international organizations and laws; transnational organizations and frameworks; elements of global civil society; and shared normative principles -UN promotes global governance, intervening in states to promote justice for individuals --- examples: climate change, good example is international labour codes to protect vulnerable workers world wide, pay for workers, no child labor -as the issue becomes more and more relevant, the main worry is reposibility
Eurozone Debt Crisis
-the name given to the increasing difficulty experienced from 2010 onwards by a number of members of the euro currency bloc when trying to defends their fiscal position in the face of historically high and escalating debt servicing charges. The worse-affected countries to date have been Greece, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Cyprus, and Ireland. In very short hand form, the crisis can be thought of as bond markets telling governments to keep a tighter rein on their public spending -effects currency markets worldwide, international finance & trade
Bretton Woods
-the regulatory system introduced at the end of the second world war in attempt to bring stability to those elements of the world economy under the US sphere of influence. The underlying objective of Bretton Woods was to provide sufficient policy space within domestic economies for governments to intervene in the interests of ensuring full employment -1944 Bretton Woods Conference aimed to design a post-war governance structure that would prevent the world economy from entering the depression -Bretton Woods institutions were viewed by developing countries as systematically undermining their interests -today Bretton woods still characterizes the multilateral landscape of IMF, the World Bank, GATT, and the WTO -resulted in unprecedented rates of economic growth in post-1945 period, "Golden Age' ----YET not all countries enjoyed the acceleration of growth and process, widened gap between developed and developing world
Sustainable Development
-this has been defined as development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of the future generations to meet their own needs -2002 world summit on sustainable development Eradication of poverty was clearly emphasized as well as progress in clean water sanitation and agricultural improvements These conferences are important because they make the connection of the international environment and development agenda as a expressed in the important concept of sustainable development
Is human-induced climate change the most significant security threat facing the international community? If yes/not, why? In your view, is mitigation or adaptation the most effective way of addressing this issue?
THESIS: INTRO -DEFINE PARAGRAPH 1: -YES it is the most significant security threat facing the I community -it effects all countries Climate change is not a 'normal' international environmental problem = there is no dimension of international relations that it does not potentially affect Because of this, climate change has become the subject of high politics, and is routinely being discussed at summits EXAMPLE - it effects the economy if the climate becomes too hot to farm certain produce, it could lead to world wide shortages of food, hunger epidemics, etc PARAGRAPH 2: TRAGEDY OF THE COMMONS -is a concept that a shared resource is which any given user reaps the full benefit of his/her personal use, while the losses are distributed amongst all users, thus resulting in tragedy all around -this applies to the oceans, uninhabited lands, and you can also look at it globally -climate change will destroy the world -hardin believes there is no perfect solution but we should ;Hardin's suggestion:mutually agreed-upon coercive action A regulation accepted by the majority of those affected and imposed on all involved 1)Regulating the climate (both have been proposed) ----Carbon Tax ----Cap and Trade PARAGRAPH 3 In my view, I believe MITIGATIOn is the best way to address climate change, but adaption is a necessary companion to it Mitigation: Reducing emissions of and stabilizing the levels of heat trapping greenhouse gases in the atmosphere; and Adaptation MUST BE PURSUED SIMULTANEOUSLY The goal of Mitigation Avoid dangerous human interference with the climate system and :stabilize greenhouse gas levels" The goal of Adaptation Reduce our vulnerability to the harmful effects of climate change(sea-level encroachment, more intense weather events or food insecurity) Make the most of any potential beneficial opportunities associated with climate change(for ex. Longer growing seasons or increased yields in some regions) CONCLUSION We must stop are dangerous and destructive use of resources and mitigate our losses. We must intern adapt to the way our world has become and adapt to the new ways we choose to mitigate harm to the atmosphere
3. What does the evolution of Facebook (as a social network) reveal about the intersection of power, commerce, and technology?
THESIS: As Facebook has evolved into having a bigger worldwide presence, it is revealed how power and commerce have been directly connected to technology in this day and age. INTRO PARAGRAPH1 -2 billion users worldwide -In past 10 years we have been edging towards growth and monetization -Once it is a public company, purpose is not to connect people but it about the ability of Facebook to sustain itself (maintain stock prices) - Facebook is in essence an advertising company which is indifferent to the content on its site except insofar as it helps to target and sell advertisements. - For all the talk about connecting people, building community, and believing in people, Facebook is an advertising company. FROM LINKING people to social events to becoming completely dependent on users to make money -Has almost developed unconsciously -Natural evolution of this form, because of its lack of utility, -Forces of market and capitalism are far stronger than any of a community -PREVALENCE OF MARKETS OVER ANY TYPE OF UTOPIAN SOCIETY -ALL premised on idea of convenience PARAGRAPH 2 It will reshape the politics and economy -Facebook, in fact, is the biggest surveillance-based enterprise in the history of mankind. It knows far, far more about you than the most intrusive government has ever known about its citizens. It will be unfortunate for others, loss of free will The medium is the message Crucial difference, in tv age tv productions limited to what you could see, with fb, social networks, and digital companies, illusion is you are in charge CONVENIENCE HAS REPLACED A SENSE OF SELF AWARENESS PARAGRAPH3 The company's ambition, its ruthlessness, and its lack of a moral compass scare me. -it does things because it can. -Grow and multiply and monetise. -ocial costs and consequences will be, we don't know what will be the next area of life to be hollowed out, CONCLUSION -as users of Facebook we are able to have some say in the company --you can try quit using it -or limiting use if it -become aware of the ads that are trying to target you - create a line and if FB crosses it you have to protest or stop using it
UNFCCC(United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change)
-1/3 conventions signed at the Earth Summit(UN Conference on Environment and Development) in Rio De Janiero in 1992 -Kyoto Protocol of 1997 was an addition to the UNFCCC which set binding targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions -UNFCCC has guided future climate diplomacy and established the principle of common but differentiated responsibility, meaning that all countries have a role to play in protecting the environment but that highly developed countries have the most responsibility -The United States is not signed onto the Kyoto protocol which means they have no restrictions in greenhouse gas emissions
Global Financial Crisis
-referring to increasingly pervasive sense that the whole of the North Atlantic financial system stood in the imminent danger of collapse as one bank after another reported irrecoverable loses on failed investments in mortgage-backed securities in 2007 and 2008 -Global Finance is concentrated in the North Atlantic economy -most significant economic shocks in the post-war period -effects felt worldwide
How does the 'tragedy of the commons' analogy help to illustrate the need for governance of the global commons?
-International cooperation establishes governance regimes to regulate transboundary environmental programs and sustain global commons -Global commons are understood as those areas and resources that do not fall under sovereign jurisdiction Governing these commons, such as the high seas, Antarctica, and the global atmosphere, requires some form of substitute for world gov-mainly in the form of regimes -Cooperation is required in order to provide governance for global commons is a concept that a shared resource is which any given user reaps the full benefit of his/her personal use, while the losses are distributed amongst all users, thus resulting in tragedy all around -this applies to the oceans, uninhabited lands, and you can also look at it globally -climate change will destroy the world -hardin believes there is no perfect solution but we should ;Hardin's suggestion:mutually agreed-upon coercive action A regulation accepted by the majority of those affected and imposed on all involved 1)Regulating the climate (both have been proposed) ----Carbon Tax ----Cap and Trade Addressing Climate Change -Because we are already committed to some level of climate change, responding to climate change involves a two-pronged approach --Mitigation: Reducing emissions of and stabilizing the levels of heat trapping greenhouse gases in the atmosphere; and --Adaptation MUST BE PURSUED SIMULTANEOUSLY -----The goal of Mitigation Avoid dangerous human interference with the climate system and :stabilize greenhouse gas levels" ----The goal of Adaptation Reduce our vulnerability to the harmful effects of climate change(sea-level encroachment, more intense weather events or food insecurity) Make the most of any potential beneficial opportunities associated with climate change(for ex. Longer growing seasons or increased yields in some regions) -PROBLEMS WITH IMPLEMENTING @ CONFERENCES --No regulation/enforcement Because we live under a system of anarchy (internationally) can't make laws inside borders --The meetings themselves serve a political objective, alongside environmental aims --A key function of international cooperation is transnational regulation, but these regulations may conflict with certain regimes --There is international action required in order to promote environmental norms, scientific understanding and most importantly assist the participation of developing countries --Cooperation is required in order to provide governance for global commons
Foreign Direct Investment
-the act of preparing money through economic operations in one country for the purpose of making a new investment in another country. This practice of outsourcing production takes place when costs can be lowered in some way by moving at least part of the production process away from the country in which it is headquartered in -obvious example of the extensity flows of global finance -most companies today have a global component from notes Means to insure that a new plant and machinery paid for in one country is established in another Ex. helping a country like Chad, a company could get cheaper labor, cheaper to buy materials to build factory, paying for utilities will be cheaper: benefits for Chad would be jobs, reinvest in economy(using money from job), more skills, more technology, new ideas, more tax revenue for the gov. Overall should be a good thing
Human Development Index
-The HDI is a summary measure of AVERAGE achievement in key dimensions of human development 1)Long and healthy life 2)knowledge(school) 3)Decent standard of living -The HDI was created to emphasize that people and their capabilities should be the ultimate criteria for assessing the development of a country, not economic growth alone -The HDI can also be used to question national policy choices, asking how to countries... -The HDI simplifies and captures only part of what human development entails. It does not reflect on inequalities.. -the UN uses this system to evaluate other countries, it is able to show what countries are more developed than others
Outline the advantages and disadvantages of the neoliberal approach to development.
-The dominant (neoliberal conceptualization is that development is synonymous with economic growth in the context of a free-market international economy -Alternative views incorporate matters of democracy, such as political empowerment, participation, self-determination -neoliberal in both its economic theory and public policy forms, asserts that an unregulated, free market capitalist system not ply delivers economic development but also promotes important political and social values such as freedom of choice and individual human rights --these values are best sever by the state adopting non-international policies in social and economic affairs, and treating all calls for state support with suspicion -supports deregulation of business, privatization of any remaining publicly owned services or industries, a reduction of welfare programs and minimum taxes alternative view -concerns with entitlement and distribution, often expressed in the language of human rights -ADVANTAGES: --postivie rates of GDP per capita -DISADVANTAGES: --lack of emphasis on political empowerment, participation, meaningful self-determination for the majority, protection of the commons, preservation of culture, and emphasis on the pro-poor growth ...according to alternative view -although saw developing countries post impressive rates of growth in GDP from late 1970s, rate of poverty saw little change -say there us in an uneven distribution of gains in global society -positive rates of GDP per capita do not tell about quality of life in a poor village
International Law
-the formal rules of conduct that states acknowledge or contract between themselves -required in in global governance of the environment to manage inter-state relationships, international organizations are needed to regulate -league of nations did pioneering for international law
UDHR
-The international human rights regime was founded from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights document which was adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1948. It lists interdependent and indivisible human rights that are expected to be accepted by other states and international actors. There are three categories of core human rights, First, are the physical rights which includes access to food, drinkable water, and shelter. Next, are the protection rights which consists of protection from torture and abuse. And Lastly there are the rights that allow us to develop to our fullest potential, this includes education, the right to work, and the right to participate in the community. In order for countries to be apart of this regime they must sign onto treaty and be bound (over 80 today), and then pledge to make it a reality (declare in document), and then lastly make it national law. Overall the goal is to uphold justice and dignity for everyone regardless of nationality, place of residence, gender, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, language, or any other status. However, people today argue that the International human rights regime is not as strong as it should be due to restrictions on the rules to use force and the weak system of international implementation.
International Regime
-defined by Krasner(1983) as a set of 'implicit or explicit principles, norms, rules and decision-making procedures around which actors' expectations converge in a given area of international relations' The concept was developed by neorealists to analyze the paradox - for them- international cooperation occurs in some issue areas, despite the struggle for power between states. They assume that regimes are created and maintained by a dominant state and/or participation in a regime is the result if rational cost-benefit calculation by each state. In contrast, pluralists would also stress the independent impact of institutions, the importance of leadership, the involvement of transnational NGOs, and companies, and processes of cognitive change, such as growing concern about human rights and the environment -example of significance he international human rights regime was founded from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights document which was adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1948. It lists interdependent and indivisible human rights that are expected to be accepted by other states and international actors. There are three categories of core human rights, First, are the physical rights which includes access to food, drinkable water, and shelter. Next, are the protection rights which consists of protection from torture and abuse. And Lastly there are the rights that allow us to develop to our fullest potential, this includes education, the right to work, and the right to participate in the community. In order for countries to be apart of this regime they must sign onto treaty and be bound (over 80 today), and then pledge to make it a reality (declare in document), and then lastly make it national law. Overall the goal is to uphold justice and dignity for everyone regardless of nationality, place of residence, gender, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, language, or any other status. However, people today argue that the International human rights regime is not as strong as it should be due to restrictions on the rules to use force and the weak system of international implementation.
What were the characteristics of the post-war international economic order, and what were the reasons for its eventual breakdown in the 1970s?
-embedded liberalism - a term attributed to John Ruggie that refers to market processes and corporate activities backed by a web of social and political constraints and rewards to create a compromise between free trade globally and welfare at home -Embedded liberalism was founded after World War 2 in order to reform the path of the international economic order. Embedded Liberalism refers to the compromise of two conflicting objectives. The first objective was to revive free trade globally, While the second objective was to have national governments provide generous welfare at home to spur job growth. In other words, it is a balance between of protecting domestic economic affairs in order to return to global trade and investment. Embedded Liberalism also included a commitment was to create some kind of structure to monitor the world economic order. In turn, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) , the World Bank group, and the GATT which is now known as the World Trade Organization(WTO). Overall, embedded liberalism led to significant economic growth in the developed world. Thus, creating a wider gap between the developed and developing worlds. -Bretton Woods -the regulatory system introduced at the end of the second world war in attempt to bring stability to those elements of the world economy under the US sphere of influence. The underlying objective of Bretton Woods was to provide sufficient policy space within domestic economies for governments to intervene in the interests of ensuring full employment -1944 Bretton Woods Conference aimed to design a post-war governance structure that would prevent the world economy from entering the depression -Bretton Woods institutions were viewed by developing countries as systematically undermining their interests -today Bretton woods still characterizes the multilateral landscape of IMF, the World Bank, GATT, and the WTO -resulted in unprecedented rates of economic growth in post-1945 period, "Golden Age' ----YET not all countries enjoyed the acceleration of growth and process, widened gap between developed and developing world -created the IMF and the World Bank after the second world war , debate about the positive and negative influence Crisis of 1970s -growth rates fell from (post-WW2 plateau), unemployment and inflation increased rapidly -resulted in greater trust being placed in market mechanisms to guide economic activity, for those markets to exist as a concrete historical phenomena they first had to be 'made' poltical
World Trade Organization(WTO)
-established in 1995, with headquarters in Geneva -permanent institution covering services, intellectual property, and it has a disputes settlement mechanism in oder to enforce its free trade agenda -example of regulative rule -WTO was designed to embed free-trade norms in international law with multilateral reach WTO membership is an implicit assurance tia market-based mindsets based on comparative advantage permeates macro-economic management of the country in question This can help poor countries positive assessments by the IMF and credit rating agencies WTO has been notably bad at getting industrialized countries to abandon the systems of agricultural support which prevents many developing countries from exploiting their comparative advantages For the Average developing country, WTO membership hinges on lifting restrictions on rich country access to non-agricultural markets but without gaining similar access to rich countries' agricultural movements Regulation of global trade has been most problematic and accounts for most grievances of politics today Non western players are now striving for same positions that US holds today. (ie. China) Left out of before because was a developing country
Tragedy of the Commons
-is a concept that a shared resource is which any given user reaps the full benefit of his/her personal use, while the losses are distributed amongst all users, thus resulting in tragedy all around -this applies to the oceans, uninhabited lands, and you can also look at it globally -climate change will destroy the world -hardin believes there is no perfect solution but we should ;Hardin's suggestion:mutually agreed-upon coercive action A regulation accepted by the majority of those affected and imposed on all involved 1)Regulating the climate (both have been proposed) ----Carbon Tax ----Cap and Trade
Global Environmental Governance
-usually refers to the corpus of international environmental agreements and organizations but sometimes has a more specialized meaning that stresses governance by private bodies and NGOS -3 big conferences 1968-1972 UN organized and would later be called the UN Focused gov. Attention and public opinion on the importance and urgency of the question - 1992 Rio conference Largest conference held raised the profile on environment as an international issue set forth as an agenda 2002 world summit on sustainable development Eradication of poverty was clearly emphasized as well as progress in clean water sanitation and agricultural improvements These conferences are important because they make the connection of the international environment and development agenda as a expressed in the important concept of sustainable development International Environmental issues heavily rely on the scientific knowledge and reflect issue-attention cycles in developed countries
How does the 2015 Paris climate agreement differ from the Kyoto Protocol?
2015 Paris Climate Agreement -uses "bottoms-up" approach -what was agreed at Paris was very different from Kyoto regime because it had an esstiensially 'bottom up' character in which countries made 'nationally determined contributions" rather than emissions reduction commitments. -by end of 2015 most countries had published their intended national contributions -hopes of Paris climate agreement would signal to investors and policy-makers that the world will increasingly move towards a de-carbonized economy Kyoto Protocol(1997) -commited the developed countries to make an average of a 5.2% cut in their greenhouse gas emissions from a 1990 baseline by 2012 -unfortunately by 2012 the only major signee of it was the EU -undercut by US refusal to participate -it would be unsuccessful without the participation of US and China (biggest greenhouse emitters) -Kyoto Protocol of 1997 was an addition to the UNFCCC which set binding targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions -The United States is not signed onto the Kyoto protocol which means they have no restrictions in greenhouse gas emissions
5. Does development necessarily breed inequality?
THESIS: Development, inevitably leads to a disparity of wealth, and therefore a disparity of conditions. INTRO -Studying Development is about measuring how developed one country is compared to other countries, or to the same country in the past. Development measures how economically, socially, culturally or technologically advanced a country is 1)Economic Development 2) Human Development PARAGRAPH 1 -In Genral development is hard to measure --Measuring development is inherently problematic ----Variable bias- what counts as relevant? ----Value bias - what counts valuable to measure? -This approach contrasts with others such as identifying development with the growth GNP, rise in personal incomes, or with industrialization, technological advance, or in social modernization PARAGRAPH 2 Although it can be thought development has caused increased inequality , it also has the ability to help to help the poor and hungry - developed countries see poverty as an issue that affects and defines the less developed: integration into the global economy is the solution to poverty; YET poverty is also founf in the wealthy North -critics note that majority of the world's people live in less developed countries, which produce much of the world's food, while those who consume the most of it are located in the wealthy developed countries -globalization can simultaneously contribute to increased food production and to increased hunger PARAGRAPH 3 Development measures how economically, socially, culturally or technologically advanced a country is -thus a country will no doubt have a larger presence economically if it is more developed than if it is not - development does breed inequality because it itself implies that some are 'developed' and some are 'developing' -there were always be hierarchy of countries -and as of know it is directly related with development CONCLUSION -Overall, development does breed inequality. - There are less starving people and more economic opportunities in countries that are developed -This is not to say the quality of life is worse in developed countries. It is just saying that developed countries are wealthier and therefore have more tools at there disposal
Are human rights universal? Your response must include examples.
THESIS: Unfortunately Human Rights are not universal, but we would like them to be. INTRO -different countries, have different political systems, that value different things. --some lack resources to care for citizens, while other countries seem not to care PARAGRAPH 1 Human Rights The basic human rights and freedoms we all have 3 categories of Core Human Rights Physical - access to food, drinkable water, shelter Protection - torture, abuse, Some allow us to develop to our fullest potential - education, right to work(no discrimination), right to participate in community (for us right to assembly) It is an international regime> meaning a set of principles, norms, rules, and decision making procedures that states and other international actors accept as authoritative in an issue-area PARAGRAPH 2 Governments with poor human rights records, the general public, academics with different theoretical orientations/fields, and human rights activists who criticize the current HR regime subscribe to a combination of these concerns Is the world's moving backwards or forwards in honoring the protections provided by basic human rights? Consensus answer: there's been both progress and retrenchment Progress: a discernable "global diffusion" of ideals and principles of human rights Failures: civil wars are ethnic genocides have not been eradicated, and the international community has failed to properly intervene Overall the goal is to uphold justice and dignity for everyone regardless of nationality, place of residence, gender, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, language, or any other status. However, people today argue that the International human rights regime is not as strong as it should be due to restrictions on the rules to use force and the weak system of international implementation. PARAGRAPH3 -Women continue to be denied their rights in many parts of the world, particularly in Islamic countries where they frequently are treated as property rather than as humans. Slavery continues to exist, whether through state laws or through their practices. Qatar was originally accused of enabling slavery through its laws requiring all migrant workers to surrender their passports to their employers, as many migrant labourers are involved in building the 2022 World Cup. Yet nearly a billion people do not have enough food to eat, and such deaths occur even in wealthier countries like the UK and the US where there is an increasing growth in food banks. Poverty is a leading factor in the failure to protect the economic and social rights of many individuals around the world. For the half of the world population living on less than $2.50 a day, human rights lack any practical meaning. CONCLUSION
