ABSTRACT
This chapter defines globalization as a complex process of systemic social change that is both caused by, and contributes to, increasing economic, social, political, and cultural contact among different societies, which takes place on a global scale. One of globalization's most important impacts has been on the way power and authority work in the modern world, especially in developing societies. The creation of capital investment climate pressures national governments into changing and restricting their roles in their national economies. Certain related conditions that contribute to the liberalization or restructuring of national economies are typically required to attract foreign investment. Globalization has made national governments, especially those in the developing world, less able to prevent or repair such damage, because the need for capital investment discourages governments from enacting stringent environmental restrictions. The conclusion that globalization is an unalloyed blessing leads to a denial of its role in the problems that face world civilization today.
