Globalization and Democracy

This talk considers how the practice of democracy has been influenced by the process of globalization which swept the world in the late 20^th and early 21^st centuries. Democracy is usually thought of as a political practice that exists in bounded political communities such as cities or countries. However, the increasing flows of information, people, culture and commerce characteristic of life since the 1990s raises questions about the nature of political communities and democracy itself.  We will take this issue on in three parts. The first part considers a definition of globalization and provides some examples of its influence. The second section examines the optimistic views of the relationship between democracy and globalization that were prevalent in the 1990s.  The third section considers global events of the 21^st century such as the attacks of September 11^th (2001), the 2008 Financial Crisis, rise of right wing populism and COVID-19 which have posed serious challenges for democratic politics around the world.