Power and Politics in Today’s World - Office Hours 1: The Collapse of Communism and its Aftermath

TL;DR

The video discusses key concepts such as selecting on the dependent variable, international relations lenses, the Washington Consensus, NATO's relevance, corruption in Russia and China, and the relationship between economic growth and inequality.

Transcript

(knocking) - Good morning, Christina. So here we are for the first of our five video Office Hour sessions that we're going to be making as the course goes along, and discussing issues that have come up in the Office Hours with the teaching fellows and from the general public. So, why don't you get us started? - Great. So the first two questions tha... Read More

Key Insights

• 🥺 Selecting on the dependent variable can lead to flawed causal claims and hinder scientific understanding.
• 🌍 Understanding the three lenses in international relations (interests, institutions, and ideas) helps analyze political outcomes.
• 😚 The Washington Consensus is losing credibility due to the 2008 financial crisis and the rise of alternative development models.
• 🥺 NATO's relevance is uncertain as its original purpose has become outdated, leading to debates about its future role.
• 🇨🇳 China's corruption differs from that of Russia, as China has implemented surrogate mechanisms to combat corruption, while Russia's corruption stems partly from being an oil-cursed country.
• 🥳 Communist parties in China and Vietnam are more focused on pragmatic economic development than adhering to traditional communist ideologies.
• 🤑 Inequality can harm society when empathy gaps between the rich and poor widen, eroding a sense of shared purpose and leading to anti-system sentiments.
• 🛅 The aging population poses challenges for welfare states, but the left has not effectively addressed these issues due to the existing division between Medicare for the elderly and universal healthcare.

Questions & Answers

Q: What does it mean to select on the dependent variable?

Selecting on the dependent variable refers to looking for the cause of something by examining the results. It may overlook other factors that are actually responsible for the observed outcomes. To conduct scientific research, it is essential to analyze countries both with and without certain variables to identify causal relationships.

Q: What are the three lenses in international relations?

The three lenses are realism, liberalism, and constructivism. Realism focuses on the interests of entities such as countries, while liberalism emphasizes the role of institutions in shaping political outcomes. Constructivism looks at the influence of ideologies, ideas, and cultures on political processes.

Q: What is the Washington Consensus, and why is it on the defensive?

The Washington Consensus is a set of policies promoting economic liberalism, including privatization, deregulation, and free trade. After the 2008 financial crisis, confidence in these policies diminished. China's alternative development model and the rise of populism in Western countries have challenged the Washington Consensus, highlighting its limited benefits and negative consequences for the middle and lower classes.

Q: Is NATO still relevant today?

NATO's original purpose was to protect its members during the Cold War. After the fall of the Soviet Union, its mission became uncertain. Critics, including President Trump, argue that NATO is obsolete. The alliance's military interventions in Kosovo and Libya, which did not involve protecting NATO members, have raised questions about its future role. Additionally, NATO's reliance on the United States and its contracted security from the European Union hinder the development of a stronger pan-national European political identity.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• The first question explores the concept of selecting on the dependent variable, emphasizing the need to consider all relevant factors rather than focusing solely on results to make causal claims.

• The second question delves into the three lenses in international relations (interests, institutions, and ideas) and how they explain political outcomes.

• The third question addresses the relevance of the Washington Consensus today, exploring how the confidence in this economic model has waned after the 2008 financial crisis.

• The fourth question discusses the role of NATO and whether it is becoming obsolete, highlighting the original purpose of the alliance and its current challenges.