Illiberalism and Interdependence

This module note explains the themes of Illiberalism and Interdependence, the cases and readings used to teach these themes, and how the themes fit into the MITI course. After decades of international political economy scholarship focusing on the impact of rules, there is an emerging focus on issues related to illiberalism and insecurity and globalization, especially in the context of the rise (or re-emergence) of illiberal global powers, such as Russia and China, as well as the emergence of anti-globalization and illiberal movements and leaders in the developed world. The module on illiberalism and interdependence includes cases on how firms engage in transnational capitalism in an emerging new order. In the context of U.S.-China competition, the war between Russia and Ukraine, and the dominance of technologies viewed as “dual” commercial and potentially military use, the role of economic interdependence and of states in economies is undergoing transformation in states of all kinds. The module focuses on how firms are involved with and impacted by (1) the rise of new actors and rule overlap, (2) the prominence of national security concerns in interstate commerce, and (3) the weaponization of interdependence.