Question: What is the relationship between globalization and the rise of right-wing political parties in rich  democracies?

11 Oct 2022,10:13 PM

 

What is the relationship between globalization and the rise of right-wing political parties in rich  democracies? How and why does this relationship vary by organizational characteristics of the world  economy and the nature of domestic political institutions?

 

Question 1: How does economic globalization impact the capacity of the nation state?  Does this relationships vary by a country’s position in the world-system or other factors?

 

(1a): Using information from the lecture and your readings, define what is meant by “the state” (50 to 150 words).

 

(1b): I am asking whether or not economic globalization increases, decreases or has no effect on the capacity of the nation state to regulate matters of the national economy.  In addition, Brady et al. (2005) provide yet a fourth possible relationship with respect to the welfare state.  Discuss all four of these possible relationships, as well as the conclusions suggested by the empirical exercises carried out by Hay (2008) and Brady et al. (2005).  Make sure to use specific examples from the texts.  (1 ½ to 2 pages)

 

(1c): Notice that both Brady et al. (2005) and Hay (2008) look only at rich (core) countries, in comparison to Mahutga (2022g), who looks at both rich and poor countries. Discuss the different conclusions reached by Mahutga (2022g) when compared to Hay (2008) and Brady et al (2005). Given the different results, discuss how a country’s position in the world-system and their political ideology may or may not impact the extent to which globalization impacts the capacity of its nation-state (1 ½ to 2 pages).

 

Question 2: What is the relationship between economic globalization and the “labor market power” of workers?  What does this relationship suggest about the probability of labor internationalism? 

 

(2a) Define “labor market power” and labor internationalism (~ ½ page).

 

(2b) What are the major arguments made regarding the relationship between globalization and labor market power according to Mahutga (2022h), Rudra (2005) and Kay (2004)? What would each argument predict about the trend in world-average labor market power and between-country inequality in labor market power?  What do the empirical trends in world-average and world-inequality in labor market power, as well as the regression results for labor market power in Mahutga (2022h) and Rudra (2005), suggest about the credibility of each argument?  (1 ½ to 2 pages).

 

(2c) Explain the two models of labor internationalism discussed in lecture, which are drawn primarily from Mahutga (2022h), Kay (2004) and Rudra (2005). Using each of these two models, discuss whether you think that globalization increases, decreases or has no effect on the probability of labor internationalism and why (1 to 1 ½ pages).

 

3: What is the relationship between globalization and the rise of right-wing political parties in rich democracies? How and why does this relationship vary by organizational characteristics of the world economy and the nature of domestic political institutions?

 

3a: What is a right-wing party, and how do contemporary right-wing parties compare to fascist parties from the early 20^th century? (100 words)

 

3b: What is the constituency of right-wing political parties in rich democracies? How have the characteristics of this constituency change since the early 1980s? (50 words)

 

3c: In theory, why should the globalization of production impact the strength of right-wing parties in rich democracies? Answer this question by linking the globalization of production to the political preferences of the constituency of supporters of right-wing parties, and explain in detail the economic and extra-economic mechanisms for this link. (475 words)

 

3d: What organizational characteristics of the world-economy and/or domestic institutions alter the relationship between the globalization of production and support for right-wing parties in rich democracies? For each organizational characteristic and institution you identify, discuss the economic and extra-economic mechanisms that explain why these domestic institutions should alter this relationship. Cite evidence to support your argument. (575 words)

 

 

Required Materials

 

Hay, Collin. 2008. “Globalization’s Impact on States.”  P 314-345 in John Ravenhill (Ed), Global Political Economy, 2^nd Ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

 

Kay, Tamara. 2005. “Labor Transnationalism and Global Governance: The Impact of NAFTA on Transnational Labor Relationships in North America.”  American Journal of Sociology 111(3): 715-756.

 

Mahutga, Matthew C. 2022g. “Globalization and the Nation State.”  Lecture, World-Systems and Globalization.

 

_______. 2022h. “Globalization and Labor.”  Lecture, World-Systems and Globalization.

 

_______. 2022i. “Globalization and the rise of the Right.” Lecture, World-Systems and Globalization.

 

Swank, Duane and Hans-Georg Betz. 2003. “Globalization, the Welfare State and Right-Wing Populism in Western Europe.” Socio-Economic Review 1(2): 215-245.

 

Video Lecture. 2022. “Populism in America.”

 

New Required Readings

 

Question 1

 

Brady, David, Martin Seeleib-Kaiser and Jason Beckfield. 2005. “Economic Globalization and the Welfare State in Affluent Democracies, 1975-2001.”  American Sociological Review 70(6): 921-948.

 

Question 2

 

Rudra, Nita. 2005. “Are Workers in the Developing World Winners or Losers in the Current Era of Globalization?  Studies in Comparative International Development 40(3): 29-64.

 

Question 3

 

Mahutga, Matthew C and John Maldonado. 2018. “Globalization and the Rise of the Right.” International Sociological Association e-Symposium 8(3): online.