North-South Divide

North-South Divide Definition

• Socio-economic and political division exists between wealthy, developed ("North") and poorer, developing countries ("South")
• Global North includes US, Canada, Europe, developed Asia (Four Asian Tigers, Japan, Macau, Brunei, Israel), Australia, and New Zealand
• Global South includes Africa, Latin America, developing Asia, and the Middle East
• The North is home to all G8 members and four of five permanent UN Security Council members

Differences between the Global North and Global South

• The North mostly covers the West and the "First World", with parts of the "Second World"
• The South largely corresponds with the "Third World"
• The North is defined as richer and more developed, and the South as poorer and less developed, however there are many other factors
• 95% of the North has enough food and shelter
• The Global South lacks appropriate technology, political stability and has disarticulated economies
• The Global South's foreign exchange earnings depend on primary product exports
• The North, with 25% of the world population, controls 80% of the world's income
• 90% of manufacturing industries are in the North
• The South, with 75% of the world population, has access to 20% of the world's income
• Economically developed nations may become part of the "North," regardless of location
• Nations that do not qualify for "developed" status are part of the "South"

Challenges of the North-South Divide

• The division between the global North and South is the greatest challenge to global governance
• Economic welfare, political stability, and cultural contrasts create dilemmas for the international community
• Economic differences deter cooperation
• Social differences create cultural clashes
• Political weakness in the South creates security dilemmas
• The international order favors the global North
• To achieve global governance, the inequality of states must be addressed

Basic Concepts for Global Relations

• Nation-state: primary unit in international relations with political authority over a defined territory
• National interest: a nation's vital needs and objectives, including self-preservation, independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, military security, and economic well-being
• Sovereignty: nation-states possess authority within their territories and membership in the international community
• Balance of power: maintaining equilibrium in the international order to prevent one nation/alliance from becoming too dominant
• Bipolar: a world political system with power concentrated in two power centers
• Unilateral: a nation acting on its own to achieve foreign policy objectives
• Multilateral: relationships among more than two states/actors for collective action
• Hegemony: dominance of one nation (or group) over others
• Interdependence: increasing interrelationship and mutual dependence among nations, especially economically
• Geopolitics: using geography as an element of power
• Imperialism: a state imposing control over others, acquiring colonies/colonial authority
• Diplomacy: actions taken by a nation to represent and pursue its interests
• Weapons of mass destruction: nuclear weapons and exceptionally devastating conventional, biological, and chemical arms
• International political economy: politics/policies of trade, monetary, and economic relations among nations and transnational forces
• Just war doctrine: moral criteria identifying when and how a 'just war' may be undertaken
• Free trade: flow of goods/services across national boundaries unimpeded by tariffs/restrictions
• Cartel: association of producers/consumers formed to manipulate market prices
• Mercantilism: economic theory opposing free trade, advocating for protection of national interests
• Fascism: authoritarian/totalitarian political system with a supreme leader, emphasizing militarism, nationalism, regimentation, propaganda, and prejudice
• Clash of civilizations: Samuel Huntington's thesis that future conflicts will occur along the fault lines between major world civilizations
• Intellectual property rights: rights of creators to receive royalties for their works
• Sustainable development: economic development based on long-term considerations, meeting current needs without destroying future resources

Theories of International Relations

• Realism: a nation's foremost interest is self-preservation, gaining power as a social, economic, and political imperative
• Liberalism (Liberal Internationalism): the global system can engender a peaceful world order emphasizing international cooperation
• Constructivism: a nation's belief systems explain its foreign policy efforts and behavior
• Marxism: Dismantling the capitalist structure
• Marxism: Private property should be replaced by cooperative ownership to satisfy human needs for consumption rather than private profit
• Feminism: an international relations theory that seeks to regulate the power derived from an individual's gender
• Postmodernism: belief in the arbitrary nature of modernity that denies the notion of objective truth

Challenges to the Global Order

• Lenin: Capitalism's strength is from creating new markets via imperialism
• Sukarno: Colonialism appears in modern dress of economic, intellectual, and physical control

Realized Conclusions

• The South continues to be globalized
• The Global South has provided models of resistance for the world
• As global problems intensify, it is important that people in the North support alternatives from the South
• Emphasis on state and interstate politics remains politically and analytically relevant in addressing global inequalities