Globalization and the Nation-State

Despite globalization, the nation is still a major actor in today's world. This course tries to understand why this is so by examining the role that nationalism plays in peoples' identities and the effects of globalization on nations and nation-states. It overviews the origins and nature of economic globalization, as it appeared in the 1990s, including a critical examination of the hopes expressed at the time about an end of history, and of the relationship between economic globalization and such issues as democracy, peace, and poverty. It includes theoretical texts, as well as case studies from the recent rise of populism and authoritarianism, the role of supranational entities such as the European Union, and the urgency of global issues such as climate change, inequality, and migration. Examples are from the United States, Europe, Latin America, China, and the Middle East.