The global dimension of world
politics is related to both
international
and
transnational
dimensions but there is a qualitative
difference between them. I use
―global dimension of world politics‖
to highlight what some IR scholars
mean by ―global governance.‖ Global
institutions such as the IMF, the
World Bank, and the WTO are
currently the most influential actors
in this brand new dimension of world
politics. Although they are intergovernmental institutions dependent
on the co-operation of states for
their existence, in some cases, they
operate autonomously as sui generis
global actors, independent of their
constituent member-states. Neoliberal economic policies followed
and prescribed by these global
structural adjustment policies of the
IMF, and the trade liberalization
policies of the WTO have all been in
one way or another detrimental to
local environments, communities and
democracy, especially in developing
countries.
Globalization is not yet a win-win
game. Its outcomes present a mixed
bag. Globalization has so far had
varying degrees of positive and
negative impact on nations. A recent
empirical assessment of the effects of
various strands of globalization on
the level of democracy, for example,
has come up with such mixed results
but with a grim conclusion that
―globalization erodes the prospects
of democracy.‖ According to this
study, covering the period from
38
organizations have had serious
adverse consequences on local
communities of indigenous and rural
people. The development projects
financed by the World Bank, the
Page
of norms through the transnational
interactions of civic actors may even
affect more enduring cultural
changes in the long run.