The Globalization of World Economics FC
The Globalization of World Economics FC
The Globalization of World Economics FC
Instructions:
Go to your room and do an inventory of everything you have in your possession. You will
find out that the most essential among the "things"in your room are footwear, clothes,
computers (if any), cell phones, television (if possible), and maybe a radio. If you are a
student, you may also notice books, newspapers, news magazines, not to mention school
supplies and equipment
Organize your inventory into two types: first, "things“ that are made in the Philippines and
second, those that are of foreign brands. List the countries of origin of your foreign-brand
items. Do the same thing for the kitchen and the living room. These should include
appliances.
In class, compare your list with those of your classmates to determine which countries make
the most household and personal needs you and your families have. Make a similar list for
Philippine-made stuff. In the process, discuss why certain products are made in the
Philippines while others are produced abroad.
The Globalization of
World Economics
Reflection
The oldest known international trade route was the Silk Road – a network of
pathways in the ancient world that spanned from China to Middle East and
Europe".
The most profitable products traded through this network was Silk.
Traders used the Silk Road regularly from 130 BCE when the Chinese Han dynasty
opened trade to the West until 153 BCE when the Ottoman Empire closed it.
International Trading System
Galleon Trade
Historians Dennis Flynn and Arturo Giraldez claimed that the "age of
globalization began when all important populated continents began to exchange
products continuously - both with each other directly and indirectly via other
continents and in values sufficient to generate crucial impact on all trading
partners"
International Trading System
1571 – Galleon was established. It connected Manila, Philippines and
Acapulco, Mexico. That was the first time that the Americans were
directly connected to Asian trading routes.
16th-18th Century
To defend their products, regimes (mainly monarchies) imposed high tariffs,
forbade colonies to trade with other nations, restricted trade routes, and
subsidized exports.
International Trading System
19th Century
United States and United Kingdom adopted the gold standard at international monetary conference in Paris.
Gold Trade - The United Kingdom, United states and other European
nations adopted the gold standard as a common basis for currency
prices and fixed exchange-rate system -all based on the value of
gold.
The goal was to create a common system that would allow for more efficient trade and prevent the isolationism of the
mercantilist era.
This compelled countries to back their currencies with fixed gold reserves.
International Trading System
Many countries abandon the gold standard system when countries depleted their gold reserves
to fund their armies during World War 1.
The global economic crisis called the Great Depression started in 1920 up to 1930 was
considered the worst and longest recession ever experienced by the Western world. Economist
blamed the gold standard system as the caused of depression since it limited the amount of
circulating money and therefore reduced demand and consumption.
The US recovered from economic crisis when it abandoned gold standard system according to
Economist historian Barry Eichengreen.
20th Century
The world economy operates based on what are called fiat currencies – currencies that are not
backed by precious metals and whose value is determined by their cost relative to other countries.
International Trading System
1) Economic crisis occurs when a country does not have enough money, but
when money is not being spent and, thereby, not moving.
2) If the economies slow down then government should infuse money to
reinvigorate the market.
3) As prices of commodities increased, companies would earn more, and
would have more money to hire workers .
The Bretton Woods System
2 Financial Institutions created by delegates of Bretton Woods Conference:
1. International Bank for Reconstruction and Development IBRD or World Bank) – responsible
for funding postwar reconstruction projects.
2. International Monetary Fund (IMF) – the global lender of last resort to prevent individual
countries from spiraling into credit crises.
To this day, both institutions remain key players in economic globalization
Shortly after Bretton Woods, General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) was created in
1947. The main purpose was to reduce tariffs and other hindrances to free trade.
Neoliberalism and Its Discontents
Keynesianism is an economic theory that assumed three things 1) Economic crisis occur when a
country does not have enough money, but when money is not being spent and, thereby, not
moving 2) If the economies slow down then government should infuse money to reinvigorate the
market 3) Proponent argued that as prices increased, companies would earn more, and would
have more money to hire workers.
In early 1970s, the “oil embargo” by OAPEC and the crashed of the stock markets affected the
Western economies.
The result was phenomenon that Keynesian economic predicted a phenomenon called
stagflation in which a decline in economic growth and employment (stagnation) takes place
alongside a sharp increase in prices (inflation).
Neoliberalism and Its Discontents
Neoliberalism emerged as a new form of economic thinking. The policies forwarded came to be
called Washington Consensus
Economists Friedrich Hayek and Milton Friedman challenged the Keynesian theory and argued that
government intervention in economies distort the proper functioning of the market.
The Washington consensus advocates for minimal government spending to reduce government
debt. They also called for the privatization of government-controlled services like water, power,
communications and transport, believing that the free market can produce the best result.
The appeal of Neoliberalism was in its simplicity. Its advocates like US President Ronald Reagan
and British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher justified reduction of government spending by
comparing national economies to households.
The Global Financial Crisis and the Challenge to Neoliberalism
Neo-liberalism came under significant strain during the global financial crisis 2007-2008 when the
world experienced the greatest economic downturn since the great depression. The crisis can be
traced back to the 1980s when the United State systematically removed various banking and
investment restrictions.
Financial experts wrongly assumed that even if many of the borrowers were individuals and
families who would struggle to pay, a majority would not default.
The crisis spread beyond the United States since many investors were foreign governments,
corporations and individuals. The loss of their money spread like wildfire back to their countries.
The challenges are countries like Spain and Greece are heavily indebted (almost like Third World
countries). (1) Learn from Greece has been forced by Germany to and the IMF to cut back their
social and public spending.
The reduction in government spending has showed down growth and ensured high levels of
unemployment.
In Europe, the continuing economic crisis has sparked a political upheaval.
Economic Globalization Today
The world has become too integrated. Whatever one's opinion about the Washington Consensus
is, it is undeniable that some form of international trade remains essential for countries to develop
in the contemporary world...
Export, not just the local selling of goods and services, make national economies grow at present.
In the past, those that benefited the most from free trade were the advanced nations that were
producing and selling industrial and agricultural products...
In the recent decades, partly as a result of these increased export, economic globalization has
ushered in an unprecedented spike in global growth rates...
Economic globalization remains an uneven process, with some countries, corporations and
individual benefiting a lot more that others". (Claudio et al. 2018)
The beneficiaries of global commerce have been mainly transnational corporations (TNCs) and
not government.