What is the relation between politics and globalization? ——chen zhitong

The relationship between politics and globalization is one of profound and dynamic tension, characterized by a two-way process of mutual shaping and contestation. Politics both creates the rules for globalization and is, in turn, transformed by it.

1. Politics as the Architect and Regulator of Globalization

Globalization does not occur in a vacuum; it is enabled and managed by political decisions.

State Policy Choices:The current wave of globalization was launched by political decisions to liberalize trade and capital flows (e.g., China's "Reform and Opening," the US-UK embrace of neoliberalism under Reagan and Thatcher). Conversely, politics can also retract globalization through protectionism, sanctions, or exit from treaties (e.g., Brexit, US-China tariffs).

International Institutions & Agreements: Politics creates the frameworks that govern global interactions. The World Trade Organization (WTO), International Monetary Fund (IMF), United Nations, and regional blocs like the European Union are political constructs that set the rules, settle disputes, and promote norms for a globalized world.

Power and Hegemony: Globalization has historically been shaped by a hegemonic power(e.g., British Empire in the 19th century, the United States post-WWII) that provides security, a reserve currency, and promotes its preferred economic model. The rise of China represents a potential shift in this political underpinning.

2. Globalization as a Transformative Force on Politics

The forces unleashed by globalization fundamentally challenge and reshape traditional politics.

Erosion of Sovereignty: The "golden straitjacket" thesis suggests that global capital markets and trade rules constrain national governments' policy options, limiting their ability to set independent fiscal, monetary, or regulatory policies.

Rise of Non-State Actors: Globalization empowers multinational corporations (MNCs), lobal NGOs (e.g., Greenpeace), transnational activist networks, and even terrorist groups. These actors operate across borders, influencing policy and challenging the state's monopoly on authority.

New Political Agendas and Cleavages: Globalization creates new political fault lines that often cut across traditional left-right divisions 

Cosmopolitan vs. Nationalist: A clash between those who embrace open borders and multiculturalism and those who prioritize national identity, control, and sovereignty.

Winners vs. Losers: Politics becomes a battleground between those who benefit from global integration (e.g., urban professionals, skilled workers) and those who feel left behind or threatened (e.g., displaced manufacturing workers), fueling populist movements worldwide.

Emergence of Global Governance: Problems like climate change, pandemics, and cybercrime require political cooperation beyond the nation-state, leading to complex, albeit often weak, systems of global governance.

3. The Core Tension: Integration vs. Fragmentation

The central political dynamic of globalization is the push-and-pull between integrating forces and fragmenting reactions.

Integration: The drive to create common rules, standards, and institutions for a interconnected world (e.g., Paris Climate Agreement, international human rights law).

Fragmentation/Backlash: The powerful political reaction seeking to reassert national control, identity, and borders. This is evident in the rise of populist nationalism, trade wars, and skepticism toward international institutions.

Conclusion

Politics and globalization exist in a **recursive loop**. Political choices build the architecture of globalization, but the resulting economic, cultural, and technological flows then generate new political problems, identities, and conflicts. These, in turn, force a **re-politicization** of globalization itself, as seen in today's debates over deglobalization, strategic autonomy, and the future of the liberal international order. Ultimately, **globalization is the ultimate political arena**, where visions of the world order—open or closed, multilateral or unilateral, integrated or sovereign—are contested and decided.

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