THE ROLE OF GLOBALIZATION IN THE MODERN ECONOMY
GLOBALIZATION DEFINED
Over the past several decades, the economies of the world have become increasingly linked, through expanded international trade in services as well as primary and manufactured goods, through portfolio investments such as international loans and purchases of stock, and through direct foreign investment, especially on the part of large multinational corporations. At the same time, foreign aid has increased much less in real terms and has become dwarfed by the now much larger flows of both private capital, and remittances. These linkages have had a marked effect on the developing world. But developing countries are importing and exporting more from each other, as well as from the developed countries, and in some parts of the developing world, especially East Asia but also notably Latin America, investments have poured in from developed countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, and Japan.
Globalization is one of the most frequently used words in discussions of development, trade, and international political economy. As the form of the word implies, globalization is a process by which the economies of the world become more integrated, leading to a global economy and, increasingly, global economic policymaking, for example, through international agencies such as the World Trade Organization (WTO). Globalization also refers to an emerging “global culture,” in which people consume similar goods and services across countries and use a common language of business, English; these changes facilitate economic integration and are in turn further promoted by it. But in its core economic meaning, globalization refers to the increased openness of economies to international trade, financial flows, and direct foreign investment. The growing interconnection of all kinds across national governments