CORE MODULE IR – ALL NOTES OF ALL LECTURES/ALLE
AANTEKENINGEN
LECTURE 1 – Introduction
IR as multilevel – Why does it matter?
Trump’s tweet. What is he trying to do, who does he talk to? Trying to talk to his own voters.
He’s saying things at international level but tries to influence another level (American
politics).
Brexit: multilevel EU & Great Britain
What is it?
Traditional IR: International politics & national politics
Regional politics national politics
Transnational politics effect supranational politics: international advocacy groups.
VB: zwarte piet. More international city = less ‘zwarte’ pieten, but more ‘roetveegpieten’.
Why more?
Changes in IR since 1945:
- New power balances. Bipolar situation Cold War. After US
hegemony/dominance.
Now: China as an rising actor.
- More institutions. UN, IMF, WTO, World bank.
- New conflicts. Rise in conflicts within states (instead of between states).
Terrorism.
- New cleavages. Global North VS Global South. Clash because of globalization.
Populism as a threat.
- New actors. Rise of China. India.
- Blurring of domestic and international politics. Globalization, migration,
environment.
Globalization and an increasingly multilevel IR.
There is also political, social, cultural globalization, not only economical.
IR as multilevel - Let’s sum up
- Multilevel IR as truly global political interaction
Decision-making at different levels of collectivity.
Actions as one level influence outcomes at other levels (Trump’s tweet).
, Incentives for strategic behavior (Theresa May – Brexit).
Different levels and forms of publicness, formality, hierarchy, and means of politiclas
influence.
LECTURE 2 – Globalization and the State
Overview:
- Globalization: What, when, and where?
• What is globalization?
• Empirical conceptualization
• Is there more globalization?
- Globalization and consequences for the state
• Four perspectives
What is globalization?
• On the one hand, intuitive – more global connections
The products that we buy made in other countries.
The people we meet. More global connection/interaction: for example with IR study opening
up for international students.
• On the other hand, debate about::
- Aspects of life involved ex: economic, political or social life are dimensions of
globalization that might be relevant. Debate on which one is the most important.
- Territorial levels of connections not necessarily about states, it could also be about sub-
regions within states that are becoming more connected through globalization. Ex: EU has an
organization within the EU that provides more economic/social/cultural cooperation that are
subsidised by de EU between two regions (example of Austria cooperation with Italy? Or
cooperation between Belgium and provinces in the south of the Netherlands increasing
regional connections in the EU (not just services but also people). Rises the question: are
territories still important?
- Potential versus actual connections Being open to more global connections VS actual
global connections. Ex: countries in the developing world might have policies that indicate
openess to trade but wether they actually get trade flows is a different question.
,- Manifestations of connections look at the intensity or the speed of the connections. Or
how influencial are these connections? Ex: explosion of number of NGO’s, but what exactly
does that mean? So debate on the actual consequenses.
What is globalization?
• Globalization as a contested concept (see Scholte 2005). Not the only contested concept
Democracy is also a contested concept.
• Why do we need concepts (remember from DAT or PE)?
- Identify general qualities Ex; define globalization as trade flows (because they are
easy to measure) so the quality of globalization also changes. the bigger concepts
are important.
- Highlight theoretically relevant dimensions Common view of politics: “who gets
what when and where” (Laswell). What are the distributional consequences of
globalization? some benefit from it, others not or less.
What is globalization?
“Transplanetary connections” connections across the planet.
• (1) Globalization as internationalization
• Focus on increase in interactions between states Ex.; increase of trade agreements,
IGO’s etc. (Traditional IR). Why can it be problematic? What about non-state actors, arent
they also increasingly interacting with each other? Other critique; what about variation in
globalization within countries? Ex; NL: Amsterdam/Rotterdam (because of the Haven) more
globalized. Exposion of people of other places.
• (2) Globalization as liberalization (see Johns 2019)
Quiet narrow view.
- Liberalization of trade, FDI, finance Ex; capital flows.
- Neoliberal ideology not opposed to globalization but to globalization as
liberalization.
• (3) Globalization as universalization/Westernization
, About spreading certain types of values:
- Diffusion of modernist, Enlightenment, Western values
- Globalization as homogenization, as hegemonic discourse
Ex: mcdonalds in many places in the world (except for many parts of Africa and
Greenland).
Is Wersternization a new phenomenon? Colonialism could also be part of
globalization. it becomes a very big concept.
Also globalization as liberalization liberal economic policies existed long before
globalization.
• (4) Globalization as spread of transplanetary connections between people (Scholte 2005)
- Geography becomes less relevant Scholte article; because of new transportations
and information, technologies (easier/quicker for people to move) and sometimes
there is no movement necessary.
- Individuals as important global actors refugees/migrants/workers etc.
Whats nice about this view: Globalization could work in different ways at different
levels at the same time. Ex: environmental movement” “Think Global – Act Local”.
Maybe too optimistic view. Geography may be more important than he allows and the State
is also an important factor. Also; not all individuals are globally connected.
Empirical conceptualization
• Common conceptualization in empirical literature relies on three dimensions:
- Economic globalization flow of goods/services/capital/information etc.
- Political globalization connections between countries, diffusion of policies,
diffusion of organisations.
- Social globalization spread of ideas/information/people/westernization.
Can be measured over time and between political units
• These 3 dimensions are combined into this index KOF index
(Konjunkturforschungsstellenindex), see Dreher (2006, 2008) and Gygli et al (2018). Don’t
have to kno wit by heart.
AANTEKENINGEN
LECTURE 1 – Introduction
IR as multilevel – Why does it matter?
Trump’s tweet. What is he trying to do, who does he talk to? Trying to talk to his own voters.
He’s saying things at international level but tries to influence another level (American
politics).
Brexit: multilevel EU & Great Britain
What is it?
Traditional IR: International politics & national politics
Regional politics national politics
Transnational politics effect supranational politics: international advocacy groups.
VB: zwarte piet. More international city = less ‘zwarte’ pieten, but more ‘roetveegpieten’.
Why more?
Changes in IR since 1945:
- New power balances. Bipolar situation Cold War. After US
hegemony/dominance.
Now: China as an rising actor.
- More institutions. UN, IMF, WTO, World bank.
- New conflicts. Rise in conflicts within states (instead of between states).
Terrorism.
- New cleavages. Global North VS Global South. Clash because of globalization.
Populism as a threat.
- New actors. Rise of China. India.
- Blurring of domestic and international politics. Globalization, migration,
environment.
Globalization and an increasingly multilevel IR.
There is also political, social, cultural globalization, not only economical.
IR as multilevel - Let’s sum up
- Multilevel IR as truly global political interaction
Decision-making at different levels of collectivity.
Actions as one level influence outcomes at other levels (Trump’s tweet).
, Incentives for strategic behavior (Theresa May – Brexit).
Different levels and forms of publicness, formality, hierarchy, and means of politiclas
influence.
LECTURE 2 – Globalization and the State
Overview:
- Globalization: What, when, and where?
• What is globalization?
• Empirical conceptualization
• Is there more globalization?
- Globalization and consequences for the state
• Four perspectives
What is globalization?
• On the one hand, intuitive – more global connections
The products that we buy made in other countries.
The people we meet. More global connection/interaction: for example with IR study opening
up for international students.
• On the other hand, debate about::
- Aspects of life involved ex: economic, political or social life are dimensions of
globalization that might be relevant. Debate on which one is the most important.
- Territorial levels of connections not necessarily about states, it could also be about sub-
regions within states that are becoming more connected through globalization. Ex: EU has an
organization within the EU that provides more economic/social/cultural cooperation that are
subsidised by de EU between two regions (example of Austria cooperation with Italy? Or
cooperation between Belgium and provinces in the south of the Netherlands increasing
regional connections in the EU (not just services but also people). Rises the question: are
territories still important?
- Potential versus actual connections Being open to more global connections VS actual
global connections. Ex: countries in the developing world might have policies that indicate
openess to trade but wether they actually get trade flows is a different question.
,- Manifestations of connections look at the intensity or the speed of the connections. Or
how influencial are these connections? Ex: explosion of number of NGO’s, but what exactly
does that mean? So debate on the actual consequenses.
What is globalization?
• Globalization as a contested concept (see Scholte 2005). Not the only contested concept
Democracy is also a contested concept.
• Why do we need concepts (remember from DAT or PE)?
- Identify general qualities Ex; define globalization as trade flows (because they are
easy to measure) so the quality of globalization also changes. the bigger concepts
are important.
- Highlight theoretically relevant dimensions Common view of politics: “who gets
what when and where” (Laswell). What are the distributional consequences of
globalization? some benefit from it, others not or less.
What is globalization?
“Transplanetary connections” connections across the planet.
• (1) Globalization as internationalization
• Focus on increase in interactions between states Ex.; increase of trade agreements,
IGO’s etc. (Traditional IR). Why can it be problematic? What about non-state actors, arent
they also increasingly interacting with each other? Other critique; what about variation in
globalization within countries? Ex; NL: Amsterdam/Rotterdam (because of the Haven) more
globalized. Exposion of people of other places.
• (2) Globalization as liberalization (see Johns 2019)
Quiet narrow view.
- Liberalization of trade, FDI, finance Ex; capital flows.
- Neoliberal ideology not opposed to globalization but to globalization as
liberalization.
• (3) Globalization as universalization/Westernization
, About spreading certain types of values:
- Diffusion of modernist, Enlightenment, Western values
- Globalization as homogenization, as hegemonic discourse
Ex: mcdonalds in many places in the world (except for many parts of Africa and
Greenland).
Is Wersternization a new phenomenon? Colonialism could also be part of
globalization. it becomes a very big concept.
Also globalization as liberalization liberal economic policies existed long before
globalization.
• (4) Globalization as spread of transplanetary connections between people (Scholte 2005)
- Geography becomes less relevant Scholte article; because of new transportations
and information, technologies (easier/quicker for people to move) and sometimes
there is no movement necessary.
- Individuals as important global actors refugees/migrants/workers etc.
Whats nice about this view: Globalization could work in different ways at different
levels at the same time. Ex: environmental movement” “Think Global – Act Local”.
Maybe too optimistic view. Geography may be more important than he allows and the State
is also an important factor. Also; not all individuals are globally connected.
Empirical conceptualization
• Common conceptualization in empirical literature relies on three dimensions:
- Economic globalization flow of goods/services/capital/information etc.
- Political globalization connections between countries, diffusion of policies,
diffusion of organisations.
- Social globalization spread of ideas/information/people/westernization.
Can be measured over time and between political units
• These 3 dimensions are combined into this index KOF index
(Konjunkturforschungsstellenindex), see Dreher (2006, 2008) and Gygli et al (2018). Don’t
have to kno wit by heart.
