Predicted Paper 3 Global · Q1A · 12-mark comparative

Political and economic globalisation: differences

"Examine the differences between political globalisation and economic globalisation. (12 marks)"

1. What a 12-mark Examine question wants

This is a 12-mark Section A comparative question, marked AO1 (knowledge) and AO2 (analysis) only - there are no AO3 evaluation marks. You are not arguing which form of globalisation matters more. You identify and explain clear, developed differences.

Spec hook. Globalisation and the state; sovereignty. The two strands of globalisation are treated separately on the Global Politics specification.

Aim for three or four developed differences. Each follows the same shape: state the difference, give accurate knowledge of both strands (AO1), then explain what the difference means, especially for state sovereignty (AO2). A bare list scores in the lower band.

2. Political globalisation

Political globalisation is the growth of political authority and governance above the level of the nation-state.

The spread of intergovernmental organisations and global governance - the UN, the WTO, regional bodies.
The growth of international law and norms - the ICC, human rights treaties, the doctrine of Responsibility to Protect.
States choosing to pool or cede political authority through membership and treaties.

Its pressure on sovereignty is largely formal and visible: states sign up to rules and institutions, and can in principle withdraw.

3. Economic globalisation

Economic globalisation is the integration of national economies into a single world economy.

The growth of world trade and complex cross-border supply chains.
The rise of transnational corporations whose decisions cross many states.
Vast and rapid global financial flows, and the influence of bodies such as the IMF and the World Bank.

Its pressure on sovereignty is largely informal and diffuse: states are constrained by markets, capital flight and corporate decisions they did not formally agree to and cannot simply vote down.

4. The key differences

Set the two strands against each other on the points that genuinely differ.

Difference	Political globalisation	Economic globalisation
Main drivers	States, IGOs and international law	Markets, transnational corporations and finance
How it constrains states	Formal rules and treaties states sign	Informal market pressure states cannot vote down
Effect on sovereignty	A pooling or ceding of authority, often reversible	An erosion that is diffuse and hard to reverse
Visibility and control	Visible, negotiated, subject to consent	Less visible, not negotiated, harder to control

AO2 line. The deepest difference is the route to sovereignty: political globalisation constrains states through rules they consent to and could leave, while economic globalisation constrains them through market forces they never agreed to. That contrast can anchor a whole answer.

5. Writing the answer

Choose three or four of the differences above. For each, write one developed paragraph.

State the difference in a clear opening sentence.
AO1: give accurate knowledge of both strands - a named institution, a named corporation or flow.
AO2: explain what the difference means, especially for state sovereignty.

Banned move. Do not evaluate. "This shows economic globalisation matters more" is an AO3 judgement and earns nothing here. Keep every paragraph comparative and explanatory.