Borders and Frontiers in the Internet Age
There is little doubt that the twenty-first century is extremely different from the twentieth century. Globalization is the keyword marking the end of the twentieth century and continues to influence the twenty-first century, as it has completely changed
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Borders and Frontiers in the Internet Age
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Globalization and Frontiers
There is little doubt that the twenty-first century is extremely different from the twentieth century. Globalization is the keyword marking the end of the twentieth century and continues to influence the twenty-first, as it has completely changed the way in which states, communities, and people interact, while it “represents a systemic transformation of international relations” (Pușcaș 2009, p. 135). Even if it clearly influences communication, economy, and daily life, globalization is a phenomenon, which is not clearly understood by citizens who either enjoy its effects or suffer due to them. Moreover, globalization divides the community of researchers in different sides, depending on the way they perceive its effects. Even so, there are some constant parameters in the discussion—namely the causes of globalization—innovation and technological progress (IMF 2008). Accelerated movements of capital, goods, services, and labor have increased the interaction between economies and cultures, contributing to the acceleration of economic integration worldwide. The results of such movements can be seen in the rise of transnational corporations, which sometimes have a turnover higher than the gross domestic product of some states, as well as in the increase of the volume and intensity of international trade, or in the rise of commercial powers, such as China, India, Brazil or the European Union, due to the acceleration of foreign direct investments or the implementation of regional integration projects. What we must keep in mind when researching the effects of globalization is the fact that it has forced states to become more and more competitive in order to cope with new reality. Due to technological innovation and loosening of national barriers for new investments, the economic integration process has been accelerated and has fostered the need for states to answer certain questions, such as: “how will we become competitive?” or “how are we going to attract investment?” (Lombard and Morris 2010, p. 74).
© The Author(s) 2016 M. Mărcuț, The Socioeconomic Evolution of the European Union, SpringerBriefs in Economics, DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-40304-5_1
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In this regard, a clear definition has been put forward by the economist Joseph Stiglitz, who states that globalization “is the closer integration of the countries and peoples of the world which has been brought about by the enormous reduction of costs of transportation and communication, and the breaking down of artificial barriers to the flows of goods, services, capital, knowledge, and (to a lesser extent) people across borders” (Stiglitz 2003, p. 9). However, as previously stated, globalization is intensely debated by researchers, especially regarding the effects. It is well-known that the loosening of barriers and stimulation of international trade have created economic growth. But, at the same time, the rhythm of these changes has been set in some state
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