GLOBAL POLITICAL ECONOMY

Thematic Area: 
Research on the global political economy is essentially concerned with the analysis of the problems emergent in the processes of production, distribution and consumption within a national political unit and the resultant systemic dynamics framed within international regimes. Research in this domain draws upon heterodox theoretical approaches to better appreciate domestic, regional and global conditions and their unfolding structural relationships forged within international systems. Political economy is considered as interdisciplinary studies drawing upon economics, law, and politics in explaining how political institutions, the political environment, and the economic system—capitalist, socialist, or mixed—influence each other according to The Oxford Handbook of Political Economy (2008) edited by Barry R. Weingast, and Donald Wittman.

The main assumption driving this research area is that economic interactions shape political institutions and through the dynamic interaction between the two spheres, everyday life is reproduced. Contemporary capitalisms and actually existing socialisms coexist within a globalised planetary ecosystem and thereby are conjoined. Thematic foci in this area includes the changing geopolitical landscape, the rise of emergent economies such as the consortium of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS), the trilateral of India, Brazil and South Africa (IBSA), the Least Developed Countries (LDCs), and the reform of multilateral institutions such as the United Nations.

Selected Books, Chapters and Reports

2015
Mario Scerri

This paper looks at the conditions which will determine the engagement of the four IORA member countries in sub-Saharan Africa - Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique and South Africa – with the other economies in the association. These four countries are not viewed in isolation from other African economies, given the increasing importance of the regional economic agreements which link them to the rest...

Keywords: Global political economy | Mario Scerri | Selected Books, Chapters and Reports
2010
Rath, A; Kraemer-Mbula, E; Bazan, M; Oldham, G; Prada and F; Sagasti

This evaluation assesses progress towards achieving the expected outcomes of Strategic Programme Objective 4, and how progress might be enhanced through improving programme policy, design and delivery.

Keywords: Erika Kraemer-Mbula | Global political economy | Selected Books, Chapters and Reports
2009
Sanya Osha

There are many similarities between the administrations (and the political histories) of Olusegun Obasanjo and Umaru Yar’ Adua, the current president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Obasanjo was snatched from the jaws of death after he had been imprisoned by the most brutal dictator in Nigeria’s history.

Keywords: Global political economy | Selected Books, Chapters and Reports
2009
The World Bank

For the foreseeable future, reducing poverty in Africa will depend largely on stimulating agricultural growth. Within agriculture, a powerful driver of growth is commercial agriculture. Commercial agriculture can develop along a number of pathways, yet many developing regions have not progressed very far along any of these. African agriculture continues to lag, as reflected in the erosion...

Keywords: Africa | Agriculture | Global political economy | Selected Books, Chapters and Reports
2006
Angathevar Baskaran and Mammo Muchie

“The impressive advances of information and communication technologies (ICT) in some Asian countries have led some people to proclaim a fundamental change in the world economy. It is essential still to study the experience of developing countries thoroughly and critically. The authors and editors have made an admirable contribution to make such an evaluation and fill a big gap in our knowledge...

Keywords: Global political economy | Selected Books, Chapters and Reports
Rasigan Maharajh

The Helsinki Process on Globalisation and Democracy is in search of novel and empowering solutions to the dilemmas of global governance and offers a forum for open and inclusive dialogue between important stakeholders.

Keywords: Global political economy | Rasigan Maharajh | Selected Books, Chapters and Reports
Sanya Osha and Mammo Muchie

This article re-reads Ngugi wa Thiongo as a proponent of an interesting theory of African agency, cultural empowerment and linguistic re-inscription. This crucial aspect of his work deserves to be more rigorously studied because of its singularity in contemporary times and in the field of African studies and also due to the subtle reformulations it has undergone in the face of often dramatic...

Keywords: Global political economy | Selected Books, Chapters and Reports
Na-Allah Abdelrasaq Suyuti and Mammo Muchie

Current efforts to explain the implications of China’s growing economic attractiveness for development in other regions provide a framework that distinguishes between complimentary and competitive impact. From the perspective of competitive impact analysis its direct trade related manifestation arguably remains the least investigated to date. Focusing on the experience of sub-Saharan Africa,...

Keywords: Global political economy | Selected Books, Chapters and Reports

Presentations and Other

2012
Rasigan Maharajh
  1. Introduction
  2. Periodisation of Revolution & Reform
  3. Policy, Planning & Budgeting Cycles
  4. Performance Monitoring & Evaluation
  5. Reflections & Challenges
Keywords: Global political economy | Presentations and Other | Rasigan Maharajh
2012
Rasigan Maharajh
  1. Geo-physical Context
  2. Socio-political History
  3. Political Economy
  4. Policy: Revolution & Reform
  5. Contemporary Challenges
Keywords: Global political economy | Presentations and Other | Rasigan Maharajh
2011
Maxwell Kwame Boakye
  • Participation literature includes a plethora of undefined terms due to different value systems or mental models which has given it a variety of meanings based on ones values.
  • Degree: Involvement, Influence, Control decision-making process
  • All these should lead to facilitation of communication and engagement of citizens in problem solving
Keywords: doctoral workshop | Global political economy | Presentations and Other | SARChI Research Seminar
2011
Erika Kraemer-Mbula

Science and technology have driven huge leaps in knowledge, powering economic and social development around the world. As a result, the last decades have witnessed the fast and profound transformation of our natural, social and productive environments. However, the benefits of such profound changes have been unevenly distributed. Uneven development is manifest in unequal access to knowledge,...

Keywords: Erika Kraemer-Mbula | Global political economy | Presentations and Other
2011
Rasigan Maharajh

"This realignment of the world economy is not a transitory phenomenon, but represents a structural change of historical significance" (OECD, 2010).

Global Geo-Political Regime Transformation 
- Market Dogma & Neo-liberalismNew Public Management ...

Keywords: BNDES | Global political economy | Presentations and Other | Rasigan Maharajh | Round Table
2009
Rasigan Maharajh
  • Context setting
    global interconnected crisis
    • Water
    • Food
    • Financial
    • Climate-change
  • Increased vulnerability, volatility & pressure on resource allocations
Keywords: Global political economy | Presentations and Other | Rasigan Maharajh
2008
Rasigan Maharajh

Human Progress

    Theories of Change
    • Development & Growth
    • Transformation
    • Modernisation

    Globalisation

    • Integration
    • Convergence

    Neo-liberalism

    • Chicago School
    • Consensus & Doctrine
    • Fundamentalism & Orthodoxies
      • Deregulation & Privatisation
      • Trade and Capital...
Keywords: Global political economy | Presentations and Other | Rasigan Maharajh
2008
Rasigan Maharajh

The integrative force of global production, finance and technology has qualitatively changed social relations along with culture, politics and the way we see the world and ourselves.

Keywords: Global political economy | Presentations and Other | Rasigan Maharajh
2007
Rasigan Maharajh

Introduction

  • Development Challenges of Post-Apartheid South Africa

Continued Evolution of the NSI
Conclusions

Keywords: BRICS | Global political economy | Presentations and Other | Rasigan Maharajh
2007
Rasigan Maharajh

SA is a lower middle income developing country, an emerging market and society in transition...

Keywords: Global political economy | Presentations and Other | Rasigan Maharajh
2007
Paula Lacerda

Agência FAPESP - Bric é um conceito proposto em 2003 pelo economista norte-americano Jim O’Neill, chefe de pesquisa econômica global do Goldman Sachs, ao reunir em um grupo Brasil, Rússia, Índia e China, países considerados com potencial para se tornar potências econômicas e superar até mesmo os mais ricos do mundo.

Keywords: Global political economy | Presentations and Other
2006
Thomas Pogue
  • Development of a Hydraulic Mining System
  • Research and Development during the COMRO era: A bygone system of innovation
  • Towards a Comparative Analysis
Keywords: Global political economy | Presentations and Other
2006
Rasigan Maharajh
  • Launched by Ministry of Science & Technology in September 2004 based at TUT
  • Centre of Excellence in
    • Evidence-based Policy Research
    • Competency Support
    • Capacity Development
    • Networking & Knowledge-sharing
  • Mandate
    • Research & Development Focus Area of Faculty of Economics & Finance
    • Knowledge...
Keywords: Global political economy | Presentations and Other | Rasigan Maharajh
2005
Rasigan Maharajh
  • "While we stand ready to do more, our national circumstances must be acknowledged. Any future commitments for developing countries must be consistent with their capabilities, their sustainable development objectives, and take into account the current structure of their economies...
  • Such commitments must ultimately map out a proactive, sustainable and equitable growth path which...
Keywords: Global political economy | Presentations and Other | Rasigan Maharajh
2004
Rasigan Maharajh
  • Context 1
    • At all times, communities should be informed of steps taken to address whatever challenges confront them and on process.
    • Partnerships should be formed so that the resolution of the problems becomes a collective effort of government and communities
    Thabo Mbeki - NCoP - (2004)
  • Challenges of Local Governance...
Keywords: Global political economy | Knowledge | Presentations and Other | Rasigan Maharajh

IERI Working Papers

2010
Mingfeng Tang, Angathevar Baskaran and Jatin Pancholi

This is the first part of our three part comparative study of Technology Business Incubators (TBIs) in China and India. For this we employ the integrative framework developed by Mian (1997) and its adaptation to analyzing the performance of TBI, which uses three sets of variables for analysis: management and operational policies, services, and performance outcomes of TBI. The determinants we...

Keywords: Global political economy | high-tech incubators | IERI Working Papers | incubatee companies | start-ups | TBI | Technology business incubators | tenants of TBI
2010
Angathevar Baskaran and Mammo Muchie

The research question we wish to investigate is the degree to which different countries with differing levels of NSI strength and weakness cope in mitigating some of the adverse impacts of the recession. In general during the recession confidence declines or what Keynes calls the „animal spirit‟. Creative destruction is heightened as firms destroyed need to find other ways of recreating their...

Keywords: BRICS | Global political economy | IERI Working Papers | Innovation
2008
Rasigan Maharajh

This paper is a contribution to the discussion about globalisation, democracy and development. It proposes revisiting the current multilateral architecture for economic growth and development whilst simultaneously encouraging greater coherence, cooperation and coordination amongst the countries of Southern Africa. Competing conceptual definitions, contextual histories and performance data...

Keywords: Global political economy | IERI Working Papers | Rasigan Maharajh