Princeton Studies in International History and Politics: Producing Security

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Scholars and statesmen have long debated the impact of international commerce on war and peace. Traditionally, the questions of whether international commerce influences security and whether trade flows affect security have been viewed as synonymous. In this work, Stephen Brooks argues that this focus is outdated. He asserts that trade is no longer the primary means of organizing international economic transactions; instead, the organization of multinational corporations (MNCs) and their production activities has become the key force in global commerce. Over the past three decades, MNC strategies have fundamentally changed, leading to increased geographic dispersion of production across borders. Brooks illustrates how the globalization of production has shifted the global security landscape, affecting security relations differently across countries and industries. His findings suggest that the geographic dispersion of MNC production fosters peace among great powers. However, he concludes that there is little reason to believe this globalization will promote peace in other regions, particularly noting its net negative impact on security relations among developing countries.