Assignment:
Politics of the Global Economy
Premise & Guidelines
PREMISE:
Read the excerpt below carefully, particularly the portion regarding global affairs and the international economy. Your goal here is to build your own argument on whether you agree with Ikenson's opinion (and that of the many pundits who claim that pulling out of the TPP was a "bad idea", which has now become almost common wisdom in D.C. policy circles). In doing so, you may find helpful to answer some of the following questions: What type of theoretical understanding on the international political economy is Ikenson (implicitly) drawing upon? Is such a way of making sense of the global economy tenable? Why (i.e. data/examples)? Given your knowledge of the different (theoretical) ways of making sense of the global economy, what are some other aspects of it that Ikenson's (and other experts) claim may be missing? Why?
"Completed in 2015 after six years of rigorous negotiations, the [Trans Pacific Partnership] is an agreement to reduce trade and investment barriers among 12 Pacific Rim countries, including the United States. If implemented, the TPP would deliver real economic benefits to U.S. businesses, workers, consumers, and investors. Perhaps more important in a time of growing uncertainty about the direction of global affairs, the TPP would reaffirm the primacy of the rules and institutions established under U.S. leadership after World War II. That architecture provided the conditions for trade to flourish, relative peace to take hold, and unparalleled prosperity to persist for 70 years." (Daniel Ikenson, "TPP, R.I.P.?" Foreign Affairs (November 22, 2016).
? The essay should be no more than 10 pages long, double-spaced, Times New Roman, 12 point font, have a title, subheadings (if need be) and pages should be numbered.