The Backlash against Globalization Stefanie Walter University of Zurich1
[email protected] Forthcoming in the Annual Review of Political Science 2021 Abstract In recent years, the world has seen a rising backlash against globalization. This article reviews the state of the art on the nature, causes, and consequences of the globalization backlash. It shows that contrary to a popular narrative, the globalization backlash is not associated with a large swing in public opinion against globalization, but rather a result of its politicization. The increasing influence of globalization-skeptic actors has resulted in more protectionist, isolationalist and nationalist policies, some of which fundamentally threaten core pillars of the contemporary international order. Both material and non-material causes drive the globalization backlash, and these causes coexist, interact, and mediate each other. The consequences are shaped by the responses of societal actors, national governments, and international policymakers. These responses can either yield to and reinforce, or push back against the globalization backlash. Understanding the dynamics this produces will be an important task for future research. I would like to thank Ryan Brutger, Lori Crasnic, Silvia Decadri, Giorgio Malet, Marco Martini, Tabea Palmtag, Valentin Lang and Rachel Wellhausen for helpful comments and the students in my “Understanding the anti- globalization backlash” seminar for inspiring discussions. Lisa Rogenmoser and Reto Mitteregger provided excellent research assistance. This paper has benefitted from funding from the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme grant agreement No 817582 (ERC Consolidator Grant DISINTEGRATION). 1 Affolternstr. 56, 8050 Zurich, Switzerland 1 Introduction In recent years, the world has seen a rising backlash against globalization.