Globalization Questions

The long-term movement toward greater globalization is being questioned. This is a significant development. Interestingly, globalization and a focus on economic growth have typically been viewed as going hand-in-hand. The reports, however, questioned globalization, but continued to focus on economic growth, although arguably the emphasis is lesser than it has been in the past. The focus on growth has been taken for granted until fairly recently, due to its impact on the environment and resources. More questions are being raised about growth recently, but they are not yet prominently reflected in the open foresight literature.

The Future of Immigration: Four Paths by the Institute for the Future believes that “…Over the past few decades, a vastly more interconnected global economy has created relatively stable growth built on the so- called post-WWII political consensus. Today, however, this vision of a world of autonomous nations working together to manage a global political economy based on a free market has begun to fray under the pressures of growing wealth inequality, a slowdown in global economic growth,the rise of online disinformation, and a need for a new global energy infrastructure. Meanwhile, plutocratic governments undermine democratic institutions, fueled by globally connected networks of crime and corruption. The result is greater political and economic volatility, with more populations at risk of economic and political displacement.”

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