ABSTRACT
Globalization is a system of economic, political, social, and cultural relationships that results in a rising level of connections across national boundaries, relative to connections within nations. Much of this book has been devoted to an examination of the nature and development of the processes that create a globalized world. In this chapter we take a somewhat different tack by considering the effects of globalization on the basic concerns of international relations. Scholars of world politics have long focused on the origins and consequences of the power relationships among nations. This has repeatedly led them to consider how economic capabilities and economic ties both create the wealth that contributes to international power and potentially constrains the use of that power to achieve national ends. Especially important is the focus on shifting power relationships, often deriving from different rates of economic growth, and the potential for conflict.
