Throughout history the international monetary system has undergone profound changes and constant evolution. During the sixteenth to the mid-eighteenth century Mercantilism was the predominant system in which power and increased wealth mostly gold, silver and raw materials from the colonies. It was a period in which the "wealth was power, and power was wealth."
Followed mercantilism began the period of industrialization or the British Industrial Revolution. This period was characterized because Britain was the hegemonic, the first country to industrialize. In the early nineteenth century Britain had already surpassed the gains elsewhere, production and efficiency.
Bretton Woods Conference in 1944 and the creation of the World Bank (WB), the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and the World Trade Organization (WTO) had changed the world’s economic system. The establishment of these organizations was the first effort by several countries to build an economic stability system not only for their national economies but also intended for the international markets. Nevertheless they had some successes in their goals, and the spread of globalization was one of the most notorious results, the conditions in the economic, political and social arena has changed vastly throughout the years, that the work of these organizations has become very controversial, and several people blames them for the way in which the present monetary system performs.
The Globalization process, combined with the impact of the liberal economic ideas has outlined the way in which the international monetary system is these days. Since its early stages, the occurrence of Globalization has been sustained by liberals’ ideals from those like John Locke, Adam Smith, and ...
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...veloping countries that in their illusion to join the international market in order to growth and develop, has resulted in a devastating outcome that have left many countries in worst condition as they were before. The increase in unemployment rates, poverty levels, and the increment of social conflicts, had been some of the results left by Globalization in many of the developing countries.
Works Cited
• Cohn, Theodore H. Global Political Economy: Theory and Practice. New York: Pearson Longman, 2008. Print.
• Proffessor Krystel Ramdathsingh, September 12-16, 2011 Class materials and power points
• http://www.imf.org/external/np/exr/key/global.htm
• http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/globalization
• Proffessor Krystel Ramdathsingh; Managing the Global Economy; Power Point Presentation corresponding to Week two; INR 3703; Web. Accessed on October 6, 2011
The July 1944 United Nations Financial and Monetary Conference, known as the Bretton Woods Conference, who created the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the forerunner of the World Bank, the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD). The “Bretton Woods system” was bolstered in 1947 with the addition of the General Agreements on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), forerunner of the World Trade
...ade even more miserable and the workers have their rights violated. Both sources describes the elite nations taking advantages of the less developed countries, it may not be the country but the worker in it. Workers overseas get lower wages compared to the workers working in the more developed countries. Exploited, there’s nothing that the workers can do about it since they aren’t allowed to create unions to protect themselves. Countries are now even more in debt as some people believe that the IMF and the World Bank take advantage of them controlling not only their economy but even their politic. Inflation happens to a country, and in Jamaica, chaos was created due to that issue, the people become pugnacious and became rebellious. Economic globalization can bring many good opportunities but it could also bring some sort of different adverse outcomes to a country.
Globalization helps many people achieve greatness. But for the majority it brings hardships and struggle. People will be plagued by the effects of globalization and will have a tough time over coming it. We are far from reaching a point where we can say we have sustainable prosperity throughout our world. But before we focus in on sustaining prosperity, we must first reach prosperity and bring it to all corners or the earth.
Industrialization is the process of developing machine production of goods. Extensive natural resources such as water power, coal, iron ore, rivers, and harbors were required for industrialization. Britain had not only these resources but in addition it had an expanding economy to support industrialization, a large population of workers, and political stability which gave Britain an advantage. All these things are called the factors of production.
In a similar economic revolution, the colonies out grew their mercantile relationship with England and developed their own expanding capitalist system. The idea of a set amount of wealth in the world and that if one were to become wealthy, he or she had to take from someone who is already wealthy, is basically what mercantilism means.
Dennis Pirages and Christine Sylvester (eds.), Transformations in the Global Political Economy (London: Macmillan, 1989).
The end of the World War II marked the beginning of a new era for the world economy. The Bretton Woods System refers to an agreement made at an international conference between 44 nations in 1944 at Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, United States of America (hereby U.S.) on the 22nd of July 1944. It was aimed at maintaining stability in the monetary system in the post World War II period. “In an effort to free international trade and fund postwar reconstruction the member states agreed to fix their exchange rates by tying their currencies to the U.S. dollar.” The fundamental of this system was liberalizing trade policy and promoting free trade. The U.S. dollar was linked to gold as a show of its dependability in the eyes of the rest of the world, $35 equaled 1 ounce of gold. They followed an adjustable fixed exchange rate (1% band). It set up the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), which is a part of the World Bank today. Member nations monetary contributions to the setting up of these institutes determined their number of votes as well as their economic prowess
On the other hand, opponents question if the benefits of globalization compensate the created downsides. In their opinion, globalization has manifested unemployment, poverty and marginalization. Additionally, it has been one of the key drivers ...
Balaam, David. Introduction to International Political Economy, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey, Pearson Education, 2005.
To a large extent the Atlantic World economic system was fundamental in causing or at least accelerating the British Industrial Revolution. However, there were other elements that contributed to the Atlantic World economic system’s success.
Crane, George T., and Abla Amawi. The Theoretical Evolution of International Political Economy: a Reader. New York: Oxford UP, 1997. Print.
In summary, after examining the origins of each perspective, and exploring the main actors, which set policy and how they relate, it has become clear that while each theory has been put into practice and have all failed and succeeded to some extent, no one theory can accurately sum up the incredibly complex world of international political economy.
Established in 1944 and taking its name from the New Hampshire town where the agreements were drawn up, the Bretton Woods conference was a gathering of finance ministers from Allied countries following the end of the Second World War. Under American leadership, the group met to discuss the failings of World War I’s Treaty of Versailles and the creation of a new international monetary system which could fund post war reconstruction, economic stability and facilitate international trade. This conference led to the establishment of two of the most important post war economic institutions, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, now known as the World Bank (An introduction to the WTO and GATT, pp. 42, 2003). Originally, the architects of the international trade system in the post war ...
Globalization refers to the absence of barriers that every country had. Yes, it has helped to demolish the walls that separated us .Globalization, which is the process of growing interdependence among every country in this planet, can be seen as a sign of hopeful and better future by some, but for others it represents a huge disaster for the whole world. That’s why we are going to see the negative effect that globalization has on culture then focus on the ethical disadvantage it brought, to finally talk about the damage it did to skilled workers.
Just imagine waking up in squalor, a once prominent society, now a desolate wasteland. All because foreign interest has raped your land of its natural resources and you seen not a cent in profit. Although, globalization is unifying the worlds developed nations and is bringing commerce to nations that have struggle in past years. True, globalization has many positive effects but do the pros outweigh the cons. In this essay I will discuss Globalization ruining the integrity of many countries and also is forcing many undeveloped nations into a bind, and is causing economic distress on some developed nations. Also, due to economic globalization the nations of the world are diluting their culture, sovereignty, natural resources, safety and political system. My goal is not to change your way of thought, but only to enlighten you of the negatives of global economic expansion.