Friday, May 22, 2020

The Pros And Cons Of Animal Testing Cosmetics - 1499 Words

It is human nature that drives us to focus on the improvement of ourselves and the community we live in. Humanity as a whole is constantly on the search for new and innovative ways to improve our lives and to make the world a better, safer place for all. Becoming educated on current topics is a key tool to understanding the way the world works around us. Not only that, but an education also allows for the development of morals, a sense of right and wrong, to take form. Without morals, it would be impossible for society to form let alone function. A current topic in which we are at battle with today is the case of testing cosmetic products on animals. Although many cosmetic companies believe that animal testing cosmetics is morally sound, I†¦show more content†¦that even though humans might be considered the superior species since the majority of us are more intelligent than most animals, and therefore have a higher ability to feel pain. It is noted by Gluck that â€Å"the p roblem with this proposal-a problem that poses a grave difficulty for those attempting to provide a justification of animal use-is that not all human beings share in these characteristics to the same degree,† (Gluck 15). For example, babies have about as much logical since as the animals being tested on, but they are never tested on. Gluck believes that in the future of animal testing, the scientists should ask themselves about all animals tested â€Å"what do they perceive? How Does it interact with the environment? Is this experiment really needed? Can it be replaced? Could the research be designed differently in the future?† (Gluck 47). By asking these questions, Gluck is specifically stating a list of moral inquiries companies and scientists alike should ask themselves before continuing their experiments. If these questions can be answered properly, it can be argued that this is the moral moral approach to testing cosmetics on animals, if at all. Going on to study a more specific case of animal testing cosmetic products, Pauline McNamee and her team of other scientific experts have found alternative approaches to a in vivo rabbit DraizeShow MoreRelatedShould Animal Testing Be Used For Scientific Or Commercial Testing? Essay1405 Words   |  6 Pagessemester. Animal testing is a broad and controversial topic to many people because scientist and doctors are testing products on animals. Instead of testing on animals there are other ways to test products on. To prevent animal testing, one can buy cruelty-free products, educate others, help stop cosmetic testing or make donations to organizations that are against testing on animals. For my topic, I choose to research whether animals should be used for scientific or commercial testing. I intendRead MoreAnimal Testing and The Animal Welfare Act1417 Words   |  6 PagesMany scientists claim that without animal testing, medical breakthroughs and research would not have progressed to where it is today. Some people claim that animals do not have rights and mankind naturally has dominion over them, making it acceptable to use them for scientific experimentation. This is simply not true. Animals can feel pain. They can suffer. One critic of animal testing maintains that pain is an intrinsic evil, and any act that causes pain in any other creature is morally wrong (Andre)Read MoreAnimal Testing And Its Effects On Human Health1146 Words   |  5 PagesMillions of animals suffer and die unnecessarily each year as they become subjects for medical testing and other horrendous experiments. Although some people believe such activities are necessary to progress in medical research, in reality it does very little to improve human health and development. For decades, drug and chemical safety assessments have been based on laboratory experimentations involving rabbits, dogs, rodents, and other animals. Consequently, nine out of ten drugs proven safeRead MoreThe Effects Of Animal Cruelty1691 Words   |  7 PagesAnimal cruelty has become a problem, it is causing harm to the animals lives. Animal Cruelty is the suffering of an animal, whether it is caused on purpose or not. There are other things that are cruel to animals, such as the testing of animals. These animals have no protection by law, which means they can be used for any testing. This is unacceptable, unfair, and cruel that these animals have to be used in testing. Animals are just as important as humans. Their are those who believe that it is okayRead MorePersuasive Essay On Animal Testing704 Words   |  3 PagesAnimal testing has been a around since 384 BC. â€Å"Some testing methods require the animal to; die, be exposed to radiation, remove or expose organs, or subject animals to trauma to create depression and/or anxiety.† (â€Å"THE LEADING SOURCE FOR PROS CONS OF CONTROVERSIAL ISSUES†) Animal tests and human results only coordinate about 5- 25% of the time. Not only is it inhumane, but it isnt even all that reliable. Not to mention, it`s an insufficient waste of government money. Yes it has helped us in vaccineRead MoreJunior Rios. Britschgi. English 3. March 21St, 2017. Animal1004 Words   |  5 PagesBritschgi English 3 March 21st, 2017 Animal Testing Throughout the years the use of animals in medical research has been a hot debate around the world. Although animal testing may be cruel and inhumane, thousands of humans are saved thanks to the research that animals supply researchers with. Animals testing have taken over our knowledge of medicine and treatments to a whole different level. Animal testing also does this in a cheap and effective way. Without animals testing out knowledge wouldn’t be up toRead MoreEssay on The Controversy of Animal Testing1172 Words   |  5 Pagesconditions that many animals are forced to live under. Animal testing is defined as the use of non-human animals in research and development projects (dictionary.com). All kinds of animals such as rabbits, dogs, mice, and guinea pigs are used to test the safety of food additives, industrial chemicals, cosmetics, drugs, household products and much more. Universities, pharmaceutical companies, and medical schools are examples of institutions that use animal testing. This subjectRead MoreThe Animal Welfare Act ( Awa )897 Words   |  4 Pages Some scientist argue animals often make better research subjects than humans. Certain scientists believe this because many animals have a shorter life cycle than humans. In the same manner that mice are one of the most used animals for medical research testing, they live for only two to three years. Scientist are able to study the effects of treatments or genetic manipulation over a whole lifespan and even across several generations. By doing this scientists are able to develop new medicine andRead MoreEssay about Animal Testing605 Words   |  3 PagesAnimals have long sense been a part of human life. The dog for example is thought to have been the first animal to be domesticated by humans, sometime around 13,000–10,000 B.C., from wolves. It is not known for sure how humans gained the trust of the Canines but in any event they did, and soon found dogs to be re liable companions. Animals have aided us any many ways, from offering protection and companionship. They should be respected and loved for loyalty; however it has been a very common practiceRead MoreAnimal Testing : Is It Beneficial For The World1106 Words   |  5 PagesSergio Ramon Mr.Rear English III 30 June 2015 Animal Testing: Is it really Beneficial For The World â€Å"Over 100 million animals are burned, crippled, poisoned, and abused in US labs every year† (11 Facts). Animal testing is a very flawed creation in today’s world. This innovation has caused much harm to many animals while also hurting the opinions of animal activists around the world. Animal testing is also known as the use of animals in experiments and development projects usually to determine toxicity

Friday, May 8, 2020

Space Constraints Will Not Allow For A Complete Overview...

Space constraints will not allow for a complete overview of the vast literature on northern aid policies towards Africa in general. As such, this literature is heavily focused on trends in aid quality and quantity, as it relates to the Cameroonian question (Lumsdaine 1993Í ¾ Therien 2000Í ¾ OECD annual Development Cooperation reports). There is also a strong emphasis on the evolution of aid policy in the wake of particular events e.g. the end of the Cold war (Cumming 2001Í ¾ Lancaster 1999), 9/11(Macrae 2005Í ¾ Howell 2010), the Arab Spring (Frot 2012Í ¾ Independent Commission for Aid Impact Report 2013) or particular development strategies such as structural adjustment (Wilson 1993Í ¾ Wuyts 1995) or good governance as it relates to the disbursement of aid (Crawford 1996Í ¾ Epstein 2008). More specifically, Van Dijk (2009) underlines the increasing activities of the Chinese in Africa. Zahariadis et al. (2000) highlight the limited involvement of America on the African continen t, in particular in East Africa. Those studies, when taken together, link directly to the hypothesis of the thesis which focuses on France’s post independence behaviour, and the way in which it contrasts with the aid behaviour or its global peers. French policy makers make decisions and policy that dictate the way in which aid is disbursed, should result in change in instruments used, and the aid tends seen on the ground. However, literature indicates that it often fails to follow the logical, or indicate, pattern.Show MoreRelatedOne Significant Change That Has Occurred in the World Between 1900 and 2005. Explain the Impact This Change Has Made on Our Lives and Why It Is an Important Change.163893 Words   |  656 PagesJean H. Quataert 116 5 The Impact of the Two World Wars in a Century of Violence †¢ John H. Morrow Jr. 161 6 Locating the United States in Twentieth-Century World History †¢ Carl J. Guarneri 213 7 The Technopolitics of Cold War: Toward a Transregional Perspective †¢ Gabrielle Hecht and Paul N. Edwards 271 8 A Century of Environmental Transitions †¢ Richard P. Tucker 315 About the Contributors †¢ 343 _ IN TR OD UC TIO N Michael Adas B y any of theRead MoreCase Studies in IMFs Investment on the African Continent10534 Words   |  42 Pagesrights are basically an international unit of currency that can only be used within this particular system (non-fungible or illiquid), exchanged for import purchasing credits just like a debit card. SDRs also carry voting privileges at the IMF policy table, which oversee both the two funds where these transactions take place, but also determines the amount and in which currency, new or existing members have to come up with to acquire SDRs. Members quotas can be raised or lowered, at their ownRead MoreEurope Economic Crisis55278 Words   |  222 Pagescomplemented by strategic investments and measures to shore up business and labour markets. The overall fiscal stimulus, including the effects of automatic stabilisers, amounts to 5% of GDP in the EU. According to the Commission s analysis, unless policies take up the new challenges, potential GDP in the EU could fall to a permanent ly lower trajectory, due to several factors. First, protracted spells of unemployment in the workforce tend to lead to a permanent loss of skills. Second, the stock of equipmentRead MoreRastafarian79520 Words   |  319 Pagesof Rastafarianism and the history of resistance and black consciousness that has been part of the Jamaican experience for years. The truth is that there has always been a committed Jamaican counter- culture that celebrates and sees redemption in Africa and rejects the European values that have oppressed a society. But prior to the advent of popular culture and especially the music recording business in the late twentieth century, its apparatus of cultural formation was controlled fully by theRead MoreArticle: Performance Appraisal and Performance Management35812 Words   |  144 Pagescritics the system suffered and how the performance management system came to the practice. The main purpose of this paper is to differentiate these two systems, employee’s performance appraisal and management system. This paper uses a review of the literature to evaluate the development of appraisal system and argues the critic areas of appraisal system. The review identified as advancement in the management field and growing complexity in corporate sectors demand more capable HR, so mare appraisal ofRead MoreHemp Cultivation in China42289 Words   |  170 Pagesready in early 1996, so if you want to be included, please renew your membership soon. Remember, you must join at the Sustaining/Business level of US$ 100 to be included in the directory under your business or organization name. We have continued our p olicy of active participation in both the hemp domain directly and at events that overlap these concerns. Examples of these efforts include the following. ---Textile Forum magazine, published by the European Textiles Network, devoted most of their JuneRead MoreMerger and Acquisition: Current Issues115629 Words   |  463 Pagesmerged banks The new merged bank A low P/E ratio for the stock of national bank Conclusion 42 42 43 50 53 54 5 Corporate Diversification: The Costs and Benefits of Synergy Felipe Balmaceda 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 Introduction Related literature The model The analysis Robustness Conclusion 56 56 58 60 64 67 73 6 The Influence of MAs on Firm Value: The Turkish Experience M. Nihat Solakog lu and Mehmet Orhan ˘ 6.1 Introduction 6.2 Data and methodology 6.3 Discussion of resultsRead MoreFundamentals of Hrm263904 Words   |  1056 PagesDemonstrating Comprehension: Questions for Review 51 Key Terms 51 52 HRM Workshop 49 Guarding Against Discrimination Practices 65 DID YOU KNOW?: Is a Problem Brewing? 66 Determining Potential Discriminatory Practices 66 The 4/5ths Rule 66 Restricted Policy 66 Geographical Comparisons 67 McDonnell-Douglas Test 67 Responding to an EEO Charge 67 Business Necessity 68 Bona Fide Occupational Qualifications 68 Seniority Systems 68 Selected Relevant Supreme Court Cases 69 Cases Concerning DiscriminationRead MoreManagement Course: Mba−10 General Management215330 Words   |  862 Pages Cases 221 221 225 The Consolidated Life Case: Caught Between Corporate Cultures Who’s in Charge? (The)(Jim)(Davis)(Case) Morin−Jarrell †¢ Driving Shareholder Value I. Valuation 229 229 253 279 1. The Value−Based Management Framework: An Overview 2. Why Value Value? 4. The Value Manager Harvard Business Review Finance Articles Eclipse of the Public Corporation 308 308 323 323 330 330 Article How I Learned to Live with Wall Street Article Second Thoughts on Going Public Article Read MoreProject Mgmt296381 Words   |  1186 Pages5) 5.1.2.4 Delphi method Chapter 6 10.5.3 Cost/schedule system (.1) 6.6 .2.1 Time performance 7.2.3.1 Cost baseline development 7.3.2.1 Earned value system (F.4) 7.3.2.4 E.V., performance status report 7.3.2.2 E.V., forecasts 7.3.2.3 EV., to complete index (EAC) 7.3.2.5 Schedule and cost variance Developing a Project Plan 4.2.2 Planning tools 6.2 Sequence activities [1.2] 6.5.1 Bar and milestone charts 6.5.2 Critical path method (.2) 6.5.2.6 Lead and lag activities [6.2.3] F.3 Project duration

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Has Globalization Transformed International Politics Free Essays

string(166) " which suggests that if global networks exist, national ones are in danger, and thus globalization would cause the erosion of the power of the state \(Weis, 2000, p\." Has Globalization transformed International Politics? Introduction A wide debate on how globalization affects global governance has taken place during the last years. Globalists and sceptics have argued about the transformations going on, their nature and importance. As Chanda notes, throughout history, interconnections between states and people have been growing (Chanda, 2008). We will write a custom essay sample on Has Globalization Transformed International Politics? or any similar topic only for you Order Now However, globalization seems to have pushed these changes to a point in which a new global order arises, threatening to transform the essence of international politics. This essay will explore the ideas that have raised around the issue of globalization within international politics, trying to give a response on whether they have suffered a transformation or not. With this purpose, I will first try to give a proper and widely accepted definition of globalization. On a second section, I will look at the different perspectives defended by globalists and sceptics, as the theories proposed by both are quite relevant to understand the reach of the current circumstances. In order to give a response to the question of the title, in a third section I will focus on different areas of global governance, analysing how globalization is supposed to have transformed politics. I will refer to issues of cooperation, sovereignty, welfare, economy and security, considering the arguments of both globalists and sceptics as means to find a conclusive answer. In every section, I will try to give a personal response to every enquiry previously raised. Finally, I will end with a conclusion in which I will try give a general answer to the question on whether globalization has transformed international politics or not. Defining some concepts Defining globalization and its nature seems necessary in order to understand the issues that it has raised. Reaching a consensus on the definition of globalization is quite complicated. As Kiras, (in Baylis, 2005, p. 480) notes, it is a phenomena open to subjective interpretation and, consequently, definitions differ widely. However, it is possible to find some basic characteristics that most theorists have pointed about globalization. As a very simple explanation, Scholte (cited by Mingst, in Vayvr , p. 89) defines globalization as â€Å"the emergence and spread of a supraterritorial dimension of social relations†. Meanwhile, Thomas (cited in Clark, 1998, p. 481) defined it as â€Å"the process whereby power is located in global social formations and expressed through global networks rather than through territorially-based states†. These two general descriptions suggest that globalization is about a vast growth of interconnections between societies, governments and trade actors around the world. Summing both definitions, it can be argued that globalization is as a process that involves a shift in the spatial scale of the human social organization of our world, linking distant communities and expanding the reach of power relations through all the continents. Held (1997, p. 253) that this shift that characterizes globalization involves that day-to-day activities become progressively influenced by events taking place in other places around the planet, even those on the other side. In addition, globalization implies that actions and decisions adopted by local minority groups can have an important impact on the global issues. Thus, globalization is a multidimensional condition. It involves mostly every aspect of life. Social, technological, cultural, economic and political spheres are affected by and take part in the process of globalization. Increasing flows of power, capital, labour force, information and ideas is another of its basic characteristics. Globalization has been usually defined as a matter taking place out of the human control. However, Mingst (1999, p. 9) clarifies that this process is not inexorable and argues that â€Å"what is critical in globalization theory is the recognition that people perceive that this process is actually taking place, although not all are similarly affected†. The reach of globalization Although some consensus can be reached when defining the basic characteristics of globalization and the transformations that it ca uses, the problem comes when trying to specify the reach of its consequences and its real importance. As Rosenberg points the globalization debate is not about the reality of the change. It is about the significance and the nature of these changes that are taking place, and about the driving forces behind them (Rosenberg, 2005, p. 43). There has traditionally been a great division between globalists and sceptics. Globalists maintain that there are important transformations taking place in the world which are leading to a radically different new order. On the other hand, sceptics sustain that these changes are not that significant (Weis, 1999, p. 59). It can be argued that globalists see globalization as a threat for the current order. They think that international politics, global economy and social relations around the world will suffer a huge transformation due to globalization. Meanwhile, sceptics suggest that, although it is true that some changes are taking place, none of them will modify the essence of power and economy relations. There are two basic points in which globalists and sceptics disagree. The first one refers to the dilemma of whether globalization has led to transcendence of territory, meaning that cross border and open-border relations have been substituted by trans-border relations. Sceptics believe that transcendence of territorial space is not possible, as all transactions take place inside national defined borders and are subject to the laws of the state in which they operate (Weis, 2000, p. 61). The second divergence refers to the weight of these new transnational networks within the national and international panorama. Globalists see that there is an increasing influence in all fields, while sceptics state that globalization is mainly a financial phenomenon that affects some capital markets. When referring to international politics, the divergence between globalist and sceptic authors is also notable. Globalists believe that globalization implies a drastic power shift that restricts the capacities or national organisms, institutions and policies and favours the emergence of non-national actors. Even some sceptics have agreed with this theory, suggesting that globalization within international politics is about actors winning or losing power. Furthermore, there is a popular belief which suggests that if global networks exist, national ones are in danger, and thus globalization would cause the erosion of the power of the state (Weis, 2000, p. You read "Has Globalization Transformed International Politics?" in category "Papers" 4). However, it is not clear whether this theory overemphasises the changes in power without indentifying its sources. Thus, when discussing if globalization has affected International Politics, the main objective is trying to define if states have been more or less affected by the issues that globalization has raised. Of course there is always the trouble of the difficulty that it implies trying to give substance to the notions of ‘more’ or ‘less’. However, what we can do is looking at different issues within nternational politics and analyzed the way in which globalization has transformed them –consequently changing the way in which states and international actors address these problems. That will be the task for the next section. How has globalization affected international politics? In a wide context, globalization has increased the demand for new policies aiming to address global problems that have appeared, showing certain limitations of current international organizations and states. Globalization has raised the problem of transborder networks becoming more relevant than local, regional and international ones. Together with it, theories on how the authority of states has been eroded have flourished. Governments acting within the power network of international relations seem to have overshadowed their own policy preferences in order to support others and avoid incurring high costs. Thus, economic integration and political interdepence appear to be keys of understanding the changes that globalization is pushing within international politics. Now, I will focus on the main areas in which globalization is sought to have exerted an important influence on the issues of governance. International cooperation Krahmann (2003, p. 29) remarked that many authors emphasize the fact that, through the years, global governance has been concentrated in specific regions, mainly in the developed countries, due to the concentration on power and trade networks in this areas. However, he points that this situation has been gradually shifting into a new panorama. Especially since the end of the Cold War, globaliza tion has been seen as force of change. As Weis also notes, â€Å"an unprecedented widening and deepening of international cooperation has led some to maintain that the nature of the state and of world politics are being fundamentally transformed† (Weis, 1999, p. 6). Globalization is one of the causes of states cooperating over more areas and not monopolizing the control over internal issues when they could have international consequences. International institutions and treaties have multiplied in the last years. Their expanding web has come to regulate all the problems of interstate activities. States have recognized the limitations of their capacities when addressing global problems and, as Krahman states, globalization has contributed to the creation of new networks among governments, implying international organizations, NGOs and even smaller community groups. States have continued to play a central role on international politics. However, there is little doubt that this kind of organizations, together with multinational corporations, are increasingly participating in the regulation and formulation of international policies, promoting cooperation between international actors. The absence of a global authority within international governance is also one of the reasons for the rise in cooperation (Vayrynen, 1999). However, some doubts arise contrary to these evidences. There is not real prove that globalization has been the main cause for this expansion of international organizations. Moreover, it is not clear proliferation of these new entities is really pushing forward a relevant transformation on international politics. In fact, Rosenberg (2005, p. 43) points that rather than states decision-making being undermined by the rise of international organizations, a â€Å"vigorous re-assertion of great power national interests† has taken place. Nevertheless, if globalists were true and globalization is actually transforming cooperation within International Politics, I would argue that this transformation is positive, rather than negative. If that is true, it could be argued that globalization of technologies and information has revealed to the whole world certain issues that were hushed up. It has made governments and people more conscious of problems taking place in countries that they have never thought about. The fast international mobilization after 2004 tsunami in the Indian Ocean is a good example of how cooperation has improved. Sovereignty Mingst (in Vayrynen, 1999, p. 90) defends that globalization of information and economy has challenged the state, as it sees â€Å"its sovereignty undermined and constrained and its structures unable to provide the necessary public goods†. Focusing the issues of sovereignty, Mingst and others have noted that the ability of states to initiate actions has been reduced and its sovereignty has been circumscribed. Krahman (2003, p. 333) pointed that this loss of sovereignty leads to a fragmentation of authority which benefits three entities that become increasingly powerful: subnational groups, upranational organizations and private or voluntary actors –such as NGOs or Transnational Corporations (TNCs). Thus, decision-making capacities which were traditionally taken by national states are increasingly being devolved to specific actors. Globalists have described a picture in which globalized system and people are divided, as citizens are still determined by the st ructure of the state even when their confidence in national sovereignty has been eroded. That would lead to the renaissance of national links and the reaffirmation of cultural, religious or ethnic identities (Castells, 1997, p. 74). Globalists continue of affirm that this situation would lead to the end of the current state-centric world defined by both realists and liberalists (Mingst, in Vayrynen, 1999, p. 90). From a more sceptic position, the threat on sovereignty does not seem so disturbing. â€Å"The danger is not that states will end up as marginal institutions, but that meaner, more repressive ways of organizing the state’s role will be accepted as the only way of avoiding the collapse of public institutions†, says Evans (1997, p. 64). The fact that economic or other kind of gains can be pursued without help of sovereignty does not imply that the sovereignty of the state is compromised. Thus, it seems more likely to think of globalization as a tool to reconstitute the capacity of the state, rather than eroding it. Nor even civil society does not seem a likely substitute –as some globalists have pointed (Falk, 2005, p. 222)– for public institutions of government. In fact, the growth of these kinds of new actors requires solid state powers in order to develop properly. Both international and local actors need vigorous capable organizational counterparts in the state. As Evans pointed, â€Å"a move toward less capable and involved states will make it more difficult for civic associations to achieve their goals† (Evans, 1997, p. 82). Rather than globalization challenging the power and the integrity of the state, certain authors see a picture in which both engage in everlasting reciprocal regulation that ends up redefining the state itself (Clark, 1998). Clark remarks that one of the main issues within globalization is its challenge to the realization of democracy. Globalization requires a new way of behaving in the international sphere that cannot consist on merely extending domestic practices to international activities. As he argues, it is not possible to maintain that â€Å"aggregation of democratic states produces democratic multirateralism†. In this context, the theory of the ideological pendulum proposed by Evans (Evans, 1997, p. 83) looks like the better explanation for all this changes. We are witnessing the end of an era in which the states tried to handle with more issues than what they really could. Now the new tendency is the contrary, as there is an excessive pessimism on the capacities of states (Rodrik, 1997a, p. 413). The excessive optimism on the states capabilities is turning into a situation in which it sees necessary ceding part of its sovereignty to other entities. However, this does not mean that sovereignty is in danger, nor even that states will lose their central role. As Chanda suggests, throughout history states have been able to give response to wide or global problems without surrendering or compromising its sovereignty (Chanda, 1998). The dismantling of the welfare state? Taking again in consideration Mingst definition of the challenges of globalization for the state, we see that the second one referred to the guarantees of social welfare that governments can provide. He asserted that in an era of globalization states structures are â€Å"unable to provide the necessary public goods† (Mingst, in Vayrynen, 1999, p. 90). Many globalists blame globalization for the dismantling of the welfare state and the expansion of the division between rich and poor in more developed states. In the global era, national economies are exposed to fluctuations that they cannot control and that affect their capacities to provide traditional welfare conditions (Hirst and Thompson, 1999, p. 164). Rieger (in Held and McGrew, 2000) states that there is a real globalization pressure which seeks to minimize welfare state –mainly from private enterprises, especially TNCs. The power of trade unions has been apparently eroded and democracies seem to become more restrictive. Firms that operate in globalized and integrated markets suffer major cost differentials in social benefits and, thus, globalization seems to threaten the welfare state. In addition, in a period of globalization, the number of citizens depending on the welfare states increases –as a consequence of migration and movement of labour force– and governments become unable to afford welfare. Moreover, the integration of markets on global levels leaves no space for welfare states in which the rates of labour productivity and production quality are similar. Thus, globalist authors suggest that the only way for avoiding that globalization ends up with the welfare state is by signing new international social contracts (Castells, 1997, p. 253). If we take in consideration this theory, it would be quite clear that globalization has transformed the way in which governments have to deal with welfare states issues. Moreover, it would mean that the global order is pushing for a renewal of the international policies within this field. However, sceptics have a totally different vision of the problem. Rieger, for instance, admits that although it is possible to see a pressure of globalization on welfare state, this pressure is not unsustainable (in Held and McGrew, 2000). Sceptics argue that globalization has not brought any drastic dismantling of the welfare state. In fact, it seems even more difficult to change the status quo of the welfare state as the pressure of globalization becomes stronger. In fact, studies have demonstrated that globalization does not affect wages, employment or income inequality; especially in countries were the welfare state is strong (Slaughter and Swagel 1997). Consequently, it would be possible to conclude that globalization is not transforming international policies related to the welfare state in a crucial way. Governments are, in fact, renewing their policies constantly, but there is no real evidence that the new global order has reduced states’ capability to provide welfare to its citizens. Political economy Globalization of economy and trade has traditionally been seen as the main responsible for the loss of authority of the states within international politics. Globalists state that prosperity and power are increasingly a consequence of private business between private actors across the boundaries of countries. Transactions taking place inside national borders have lost weight, and thus globalists assert that, within global economy, â€Å"it has become harder to sustain the image of states as the preeminent actors at the global level† (Nettl, cited in Evans, 1997, p. 65). Globalists believe that nowadays private actors make the decisions on which territory is included in the global markets or excluded from the global production networks. Thus, states are seen merely as mediators, which just can try to make their nations attractive for investors, but they cannot run the global economy system. In fact, it has been mentioned that states engaging in policies contraries to the interests of financial actors would be punished with measures such as a decline of their currencies or its access to capital (Evans, 1997, p. 67). Furthermore, globalists state that even the own market can react against hostile decisions of states. â€Å"Capital has long demonstrated willingness and ability to react to what it perceives as unfavourable policies† says Weis (1999, p. 8). Taking these arguments in consideration, it could be argued that globalization has undermined the power of states within political economy, thus radically transforming this aspect of international politics. However, some sceptic authors, such as Rodrik (in Nye, 2000, p. 349) state that economic globalization is far away from being extended as it seems. He think s that â€Å"international economic integration remains remarkably limited†. In fact, some arguments support this theory. There are still great obstacles for the global market, such as tariff barriers or linguistic and cultural differences. National borders have not disappeared, contrary to what most globalist theorists argue, and their restrictions and rules are still relevant in most international transactions. Moreover, the levels of investments in national assets are still higher that internationals. There are still strict restrictions for the mobility of labour around the world. Thus, Rodrik suggests that â€Å"while formal barriers to trade and capital flows have been substantially reduced over the past three decades, international markets for goods, services, and capital are not nearly as thick as they would be under complete integration†. It is possible to argue, as Evans does, that the role of states within international political economy is not undermined by the fact of its becoming increasingly dependent on private actors and global trade. In fact, it has been proved that the bigger is the reliance on trade, the more important is the role of the state (Evans, 1997, p. 68). Thus, powerful and involved states are more likely to participate actively within global markets. Then, the role of the state is not really undermined, and even â€Å"high stateness† can be a competitive advantage. It can be argued that globalization is not responsible for the growth of the multilateral economic order; neither is it a cause of undermining the power of states as international actors. Then, if some crucial transformations have taken place during the last years within international political economy, it would be unfair to blame globalization. Globalization of crime As a final point, I will briefly refer to one of the issues that has been more present within international politics in the last years. National security is one of the main problems pointed to have emerged as a big challenge of globalization. As Kiras (in Baylis, 2005, p. 482) pointed, globalization of technologies and information has improved the capabilities of terrorists. Communication and mobility of people across the borders is increasing, and this gives more facilities for criminals to act. Apart from terrorism, a new global organized crime seems to have emerged, conditioning certain economic and political aspects of international politics and, moreover, destabilizing national governments (Castells, 1997). In fact, there is a growing importance of economic flows with criminal origin –such as those coming from the illegal weapons or drugs markets. Whether globalization can be blamed for these circumstances or not is a difficult question to be answered. However, it is clear that this is one of the issues that have transformed international politics in a more crucial way. Governments are not able to fight with this new global crime by themselves, so they are moving towards multilateralism in foreign policy and defence (Castells, 1997). Whether this multilateralism is something that erodes the autonomy of the states or just a positive cooperative measure is a question that still needs to be answered. Conclusion The debate between globalists and sceptics is still continuing nowadays. However, recent events have come to support the theories of the latter ones. As Rosenberg points, globalization has not transformed the essence of international politics. The new global and radically distinct order that globalists had announced is not a reality. Little essential changes have taken place (Rosenberg, 2005, p. 3). While examining the issues of sovereignty, welfare or trade that globalization has raised, it is possible to perceive that it has pushed some transformations. However, most of them are not significant. Moreover, it is not quite clear in what grade globalization is responsible for them. Nevertheless, it can be argued that the global order is not undermining the power of the state. Instead, states that are strong and participative seem to be more powerful and play a more important role within the issues of globalization. As Clark stated, instead of globalization eroding the capacities of states, it is more appropriate to sustain that globalization in a process parallel to an apparent reconstruction of the state (Clark, 1998, p. 491). International politics are suffering a shift on the policies that they need to apply in fields like welfare and finance. Although this shift does not affect the nature of international politics, it seems necessary to preserve the predominant position of traditional states. New private and public powers are arising, and governments need to learn to deal with them in order to keep their status. There are also new threats that states cannot fight for themselves. Thus a growing cooperation is necessary to resolve the problems of the world. Bibliography Aas, K. F. (2007), Globalization and Crime, SAGE Publications, London Baylis, J. And Smith, S. (2005, 3rd edition), The Globalization of World Politics: An Introduction to International Relations, Oxford University Press Castells, M. (1997), The Power of Identity, Blackwell Publishers Clark, I. (1998), Beyond the Great Divide: globalization and the theory of international relations, Review of International Studies, 24, pp. 479-498 Chanda, N. (2008), Runaway globalization without governance, Global Governance, 14 (2) Evans P. (1997), The Eclipse of the State? , World Politics, n. 50 Falk, R. (2005), Reimagining the Governance of Globalization, in Appelbaum, R. and Robinson, W. Critical Globalization Studies, Routledge Held, D. (1997), Democracy and Globalization, Global Governance, 3, pp. 251-267 Held, D. and McGrew A. (2000), The Global Transformations Reader: An Introduction to the Globalization Debate, Polity Press Hirst, P. and Thompson, G. (1999, 2nd edition), Globalization in question, Polity Press Krahmann E. (2003), National, Regional and Global Governance : One Phenomenon or Many, Global Governance, 9 Mingst, K. A. (1999), Global Governance: The American Perspective, in Vayrinen, R. , Globalization and Global Governance, Rowman and Littlefield Publishers Nye, J. S. and Donahue, J. D. (2000), Governance in a Globalizing World, Brookings Institution Press Rieger, E. and Leibfried, S. (2000), Welfare State Limits to Globalization, in Held, D. and McGrew A. , The Global Transformations Reader: An Introduction to the Globalization Debate, Polity Press Rodrik, D. (1997a), The Paradoxes of the Successful State, European Economic Review, Volume 41, Issues 3-5, April Rodrik, D. (1997b), Sense and Nonsense in the Globalization Debate, Foreign Policy Rodrik, D. (2000), Governance of Economic Globalization, in Nye, J. S. and Donahue, J. D. Governance in a Globalizing World, Brookings Institution Press Rosenberg, J. (2005), Globalisation Theory: A Post Mortem, International Politics Sassen, S. (1996), Losing Control? Sovereignty in an Age of Globalization, New York Slaughter, M. J. and Swagel, P. (1997) Does Globalization Lower Wages and Export Jobs? , International Monetary Fund available at http://www. imf. org/external/pubs/ft/issues11 (accessed 7 Dec ember 2009) Vayrynen, R. (1999), Globalization and Global Governance, Rowman and Littlefield Publishers Weis, L. (1999), Globalization and National Governance, Review of International Politics How to cite Has Globalization Transformed International Politics?, Papers