The World-It's Complicated

The plethora of competing interests involved in the international political economy give rise to global tension. To separate the tangled web of relationships between states, diverse societies, political institutions, micro and macro economies, inter-governmental organizations, and multi-national corporations is simply one task. The international attitudes toward any number of issues lack clear definition or a popular majority understanding. Perhaps the greatest challenge is the active engagement of such diverse actors to effectively implement policy.

First, one must examine the political structure and institutional power within a state. Do democratic processes exist? Is there equality for all citizens? Is the power given to one executive leader or is there a constitutional system of checks and balances? Do bureaucratic systems exist? How does the public participate in the policy making process? These simple questions must be answered to effectively evaluate a state’s ability to participate in the macro-political economy.

Beyond the inter-state competing interests are intra-state issues which spur regional tensions, spark conflict, and increase inequality. Furthermore, severe socio-economic disparities exist more than ever. However, regional political and non-governmental institutions are completely incapable of creating feasible long-term solutions? Why? The current lack of institutional understanding, direction, and oversight hinders any progress towards reaching development goals. Unfortunately, this can be said for much of foreign policy whether it be-military, economic, social, or environmental. The competing interests among intra-state political systems, corporations, and the public sector effectively thwart conflict resolution and policy creation.

A clear vision of macro-economic functions does not exist. Nor does a unified distribution of world power. The status quo is such that the United States is a global hegemony seeking to maintain the current balance of power. When a powerful state relies upon officials who have little experience in international politics or finance, an envisioned policy of mitigation and solution simple fails.

While somewhat pithy and pessimistic, the key fact is that collaboration and cooperation at all levels remains to be the greatest challenge to the international political economy. Any international governing institution is only as powerful as country from which elected officials reside. Where does leadership power stem from? How is national interest represented in G-20, G-8, and other conferences? Do the leaders truly balance political and socio-economic interest in conducting policy, creating strategy, and adopting trade models? Most importantly-how is tension diffused among competing groups? Is world peace protected in lieu of true equality?

Essentially, we must ask whether the alphabet soup of organization, the NGOs, IPOs, UN, UK, EU, US, MNCs, WTO, World Bank, NAFTA, SEC, and others can truly collaborate at an international level to enact social policy. This is the greatest challenge tasked to those actors engaged in actions associate with the international political economy.