Chapter Overview
World Bank, IMF, WTO and other international organizations shaping the global economy.
This chapter examines international economic institutions and their role in shaping global economic geography. We explore how organizations like the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, and World Trade Organization influence development patterns, trade relationships, and economic policies around the world. Understanding these institutions is essential for analyzing global economic governance.
Chapter Resources
Required Reading
- Textbook: Chapter 10
- Coe, Kelly & Yeung (2019)
- Economic Geography: A Contemporary Introduction
Download Slides
Video Content
- Multiple lecture sections
- Global governance
- Watch at your own pace
Video Lectures
Section 10.1: Introduction to Global Economic Governance ~15 minutes
Understanding how international institutions govern the global economy and shape geographic outcomes.
Section 10.2: The World Bank & IMF ~15 minutes
The Bretton Woods institutions: their origins, functions, and geographic impacts on development.
Section 10.3: The World Trade Organization ~15 minutes
How the WTO shapes global trade patterns and the geographic distribution of economic activity.
Section 10.4: Critiques & Alternatives ~15 minutes
Debates about international institutions, anti-globalization movements, and alternative visions of global governance.
Key Takeaways
Institutional Fundamentals
- International institutions create rules that shape global economic geography
- The Bretton Woods institutions (IMF, World Bank) emerged from post-WWII arrangements
- Trade agreements and organizations significantly influence where economic activity occurs
- These institutions face ongoing debates about legitimacy and effectiveness
Key Concepts
- Bretton Woods: The post-WWII system of international economic governance
- Structural Adjustment: Policy conditions attached to IMF/World Bank loans
- Washington Consensus: Neoliberal policy prescriptions promoted by institutions
- Trade Liberalization: Reducing barriers to international trade
- Global Governance: How the world economy is regulated without world government
Discussion Questions
Consider these questions as you watch the lectures and complete the readings:
- Who benefits and who loses from current international economic arrangements?
- Should developing countries follow the policy advice of institutions like the IMF?
- How do trade agreements affect workers and communities in different places?
- Are international institutions democratic? Should they be?
- What alternatives exist to current forms of global economic governance?