Is Globalization Good For Democracy?

Globalization is one of those words that sets off alarms.

The term encompasses definitions across the political spectrum - most of those connoting economics, jobs, competition, growth, McDonald's, and, depending on who you listen to, a battle between Bambi and Godzilla. The characterizations come up again on weeks like this one, when Secretary of State Hillary Clinton visits Africa.

But is globalization good for democracy? That's the central question driving
Altered States: The Globalization of Accountability, a new book by Valerie Sperling, professor of government and international relations at Clark University. She joined us with a new, more nuanced view of globalization through the prism of accountability.

Forbes: Why Globalization is Good

(Photo by Daniel Gasienica via Flickr/Creative Commons)