Globalization Group
CHAIR, GLOBALIZATION GROUP: Ann McDonnel
SUGGESTED TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR CQC GROUP ON GLOBALIZATION ("CQC-GG")
1. Purpose: To explore possible impacts of globalization on the American way of life, and consider possible actions.
2. Definition: Globalization is the generally accelerating movement, across national borders, of four types of movables, namely
* Products (goods and services)
* Capital (money, investments, loans);
* Information, ideas, attitudes;
* People (migrants or visitors)
1. Organization of GG: Up to the group; informal; temporary chair or rotating chair or co-chairs; liaison with CQC; develop some kind of work plan/ schedule/agreed assignments/etc.
2. History: Starts before Marco Polo; recent developments; may be a useful data bank, at least for perspective
3. Current Situation: Growth of wealth and infotech; cultural diffusion; accelerating rate of historical change; concerns over labor standards, environment, and shift of power to entities not subject to democratic control; civic confusion.
4. Public Attitudes: Subcultures, ideologies, status. (Conservatives and liberals each seem split on this.)
5. Politics: Impact of campaign contributions, media, etc.
6. Benefits and Detriments of Globalization: Identify them; evaluate them; are there other ways to the benefits, and are the detriments avoidable? who benefits, who loses? to what extent is the speed of change a factor? to what extent are market forces a factor, and how can they be modified?
7. Identifying Key Issues: These probably include environmental impact; labor standards impact; development of poorer nations; brain drain from poorer nations; national security, and weakening of national democracies; also various quality of life issues. (Perhaps overriding question is not yes or no to globalization but rather the kinds of globalization extent; its tempo; who controls?)
8. Relation to Other Major Public Concerns: Population, environment, nuclear war and terrorism; prosperity and income misdistributions, etc.)
* Possible CQC—GG Products: Readable, objective citizens primer on globalization; testimony at public hearings, forums, etc.
* Information Resources: "The Lexus and the Olive Tree" by Tom Friedman ; "Everything for Sale" by Robert Kuttner; newspaper and magazine materials, etc.
* Suggested GG procedure: Initial discussion on substance and organization; review of resources (persons in group collect and exchange materials); identify principal questions and develop tentative answers; consider useful actions; get reactions from CQC and from outside experts; plan follow-thru.