(Fall 2019) Public Policy POL 211- A01

Elayne Guzman Chap 13- Branko Milanovic, “The Two Faces of Globalization: Against Globalization as We Know It” Quote: “The left view, regards globalization as a malignant force that leads to child labor in the South and takes away middle-class jobs in the North… today’s globalization is led by a triumphant, and often unbridled capitalism. Unbridled capitalism does produce the effects of which the Left complains; destruction of environment, obliteration of indigenous cultures and exploitation of the weak” Meaning/Chosen:     There is no question that globalization has been a good thing for many developing countries who now have access to our markets and can export cheap goods. Globalization has also been food for multi-national corporations and Wall Street. But globalization has not been good for working people (blue or white collard) and has led to continuing de- industrialization of America. The general complaint about globalization is that has made the rich r...

Elayne Guzman Chap 12- Dani Rodrik “Trading in Illusions” Quote: “Openness to trade and investments flows is no longer viewed simply as a component of a country’s development strategy; it has mutated into the most potent catalyst for economic growth known to humanity” Meaning/Chosen:     Joining the world economy is no longer a matter simply of dismantling barriers to trade and investments. Countries must comply with a long list of admission requirements from new patent rules to more rigorous banking standards. Global integration has become, for all practical purposes, a substitute for a development strategy. This strategy is not quite good for the world’s poor. By focusing on international integration, governments in poor nations divert human resources, administrative capabilities and political capital away from more urgent development priorities such as education, public health, industrial capacity and social cohesion.    The rules for admission int...

Elayne Guzman Chap 12- Robert H. Wade, “Is Globalization Reducing Inequality and Poverty” Quote: “If the number of people in extreme poverty is not falling and if global inequality is widening, we cannot conclude that globalization in the context of the dollar Wall Street Regime is moving the world in the right direction” Meaning/Chosen:     We live in an unequal world in which descriptors of global inequality, especially inequalities in income abound. Globalization has intensified flows of goods, finance, people and political/cultural interactions all across our planet. Understanding the nature of, and linkages between globalization and inequalities is crucial because disparities abound in access to needs such as shelter, land, food and clean water, sustainable livelihoods, technology and information. Inequalities in all of these realms pose challenges to human security and environmental sustainability.   Much of the research on the link between globali...

Elayne Guzman Chap 11- Steven Rattner, “Will China Stumble, Don’t Bet on It” Quote: “…That illustrate China’s great strength: its ability to relentlessly grind down costs by combining high labor efficiency with wages that remain extraordinary low” Meaning/Chosen:    China labor market remains tight and unemployment low and yet, just like in the US, Europe and elsewhere- wages growth is not reflecting that strength. China labor cost is a key driver in production, an area China is well known to the world competitive advantage. However, China’s economy growth has reduced this luxury as the manufacturing workforce has experience yearly rising wages in China. But even with large increased in China labor costs, wage rate in China remains relatively low; the minimum monthly wage is around $280 a quarter of that in American. China wage increases are predominantly in coastal regions whereas inlands areas see a much lower wage growth. For this reason factories are relo...

Elayne Guzman Chap 11- The Washington Post “Bashing China” Quote: “China is not quite the unstoppable threat to U.S. prosperity that we hear about in crowd-pleasant rhetoric; undoubtedly China has grown explosively over the past two decades, capturing a huge share of world trade” Meaning/Chosen: As technology, capital and flows of trade between China and the world have shifted; China’s exposure to other countries has declined, while the world’s exposure to China has increased. Consumers around the world have been benefiting from trade with China. However, the nature of China’s rise is coming under scrutiny; criticism has been voided about, for instance China’s policies to support technology transfer from foreign to local firms, weak intellectual-property protection and industrial policies that favor domestic players.

Elayne Guzman Chap 10- Michael McFaul, “ State Power, Institutional Change and the Politics of Privatization in Russia” Quote: “The degree of consensus within the state is a key determinant of its ability to define preferences independently of leading economic interest groups. The effectiveness and cohesiveness of government institutions are key determinants of the state’s capacity to implement these preferences; state power must as also be measured in relation to the strength of the leading interest groups in society” Meaning/Chosen: Society is the source of immense power. Humanity possesses the power and capabilities needed to fully meet the multi dimensional challenges confronting global society. People often think of power ins  society as shaping the results of political decision making; policies, laws, ruling decisions make by public of officials, legislators  and members of the executive and judicial branches of the government. The power to shape what gets...

Elayne Guzman Chap 9 “ Audio lecture: David Harvey, “Production of Capitalist Spaces” “The production of space, especially the distribution and organization of the territory constitutes a principal aspect of capitalist economies.”   While space and time may seem ubiquitous, human experiences of space and time are remarkably specific to certain groups and cultures in particular places and times. The production of space occurs through both social practices and material conditions, meaning that space and time are contingent upon and shaped by macro-scale policies and innovations, such as calendars and maps, as everyday routines like finding a parking space. Space is socially produced.