Economi politica

Alfonso de la Peña Rosenzweig

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Exàmen Final Economìa Polìtica II

1. Strange affirms that energy happens to be the most important factor in “the exersise of power in the Internationalpolitical economy “ and also vital for acquiring security and wealth. But energy is under the control of other structures, or 4 primary structures which are security, finance, production andknowledge,[1] Strange assures that these structures are behind the Management of energy, which in this case is a secondary power structure.

In chapter 9 of Strange`s book we are able to see variousexamples of how different priorities tend to change the energy sub-structure; the idea of a “triangular balance” between markets, companies and state is a good example of how the rotating power of theseactors, affect the way energy issues are handled.

The term energy can have a lot of meanings depending on the context the 4 power structures are providing; before the indutrial revolution, 85% ofenergy came from human and animal muscles. Then coal was the main source of energy, and when states decided that they needed more “mobility” the changed their coal based energy system for oil.Energy has demonstrated to be merely a tool to serve higher purposes, which give the real definition to world politics, most of these purposes are the ones imposed by developed powerful countries.

Thissituation has affected the global climate governance, since the desitions on these issues are not aiming to provide better enviromental conditions, but are based on fullfiling the needs of the higherpower structures, which consider climate change not to be as important as other issues, such as rebulding economies or defense.

Copenhagen showed us that different countries, companies andinstitutions, have different goals. Transnationals put pressure on their governments in order to get them to negotiate in the way that they wont be affected. Some developing countries that needed to keep...