The Persistence of American Economic Power in Global Capitalism: From the 1960s into the Twenty-First Century

dc.contributor.advisorPanitch, Leo V.
dc.creatorKenji Starrs, Sean
dc.date.accessioned2015-01-26T14:17:26Z
dc.date.available2015-01-26T14:17:26Z
dc.date.copyright2014-05-30
dc.date.issued2015-01-26
dc.date.updated2015-01-26T14:17:26Z
dc.degree.disciplinePolitical Science
dc.degree.levelDoctoral
dc.degree.namePhD - Doctor of Philosophy
dc.description.abstractThis dissertation intervenes in the more than four decades-long debate on the decline or persistence of American economic power. It argues that we cannot move forward without reconceptualizing the nature of economic power in global capitalism, especially by moving beyond national accounts (such as GDP). Too many commentators from across the diversity of perspectives assume that the relative rise and decline of national accounts approximates the relative rise and decline of national economic power. In contrast, this dissertation argues that in the era of globalization, national accounts are an inadequate measure of national economic power. Rather, we must investigate the transnational corporations themselves in order to encompass their transnational operations, and analyze the matrix of inter-linkages now characteristic of global capitalism in general, and American power in particular. Therefore, this dissertation draws upon extensive original empirical research, including the following: 1) the first aggregation of the national sales-shares of the world’s top 200 corporations from 1957 to 2013; 2) the first aggregation of the national profit-shares of the world’s top 2,000 corporations across 25 broad sectors from 2006 to 2013; 3) the first aggregation of the top 50 national acquirers and targets of all cross-border mergers and acquisitions worth $1 million or more from 1980 to 2012; and 4) the first national aggregation of the ownership structures of the world’s top 500 corporations. The results from this empirical research, among others, will illuminate a number of facets concerning contemporary global capitalism. First, the nationality of capital remains very relevant despite several decades of intensifying globalization at the turn of the twentieth century. Following from this, the persistence of American economic power from the 1960s into the twenty-first century is astounding, particularly at the technological frontier. Indeed, in advanced technology and even Wall Street, American dominance has actually increased since the 2008-2009 global financial crisis. There are no foreseeable contenders, including China. Therefore, this dissertation will demonstrate that far from relative American decline, in certain respects American economic power has never been stronger — and will conclude with a number of important implications from this analysis concerning the future of world order.
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10315/28181
dc.language.isoen
dc.rightsAuthor owns copyright, except where explicitly noted. Please contact the author directly with licensing requests.
dc.subjectInternational relations
dc.subjectPolitical Science
dc.subjectPacific Rim studies
dc.subject.keywordsGlobal Studies.en_US
dc.subject.keywordsAmerican Hegemonyen_US
dc.subject.keywordsAmerican Poweren_US
dc.subject.keywordsGlobal Capitalismen_US
dc.subject.keywordsGlobalizationen_US
dc.subject.keywordsGlobal Political Economyen_US
dc.subject.keywordsInternational Political Economyen_US
dc.subject.keywordsCritical Political Economyen_US
dc.subject.keywordsTransnational Corporationsen_US
dc.subject.keywordsTransnational Capitalist Classen_US
dc.subject.keywordsThe Rise of Chinaen_US
dc.subject.keywordsEast Asian Political Economyen_US
dc.subject.keywordsNational Accountsen_US
dc.subject.keywordsWorld Orderen_US
dc.subject.keywordsPolitical Economyen_US
dc.subject.keywordsForbes Global 2000en_US
dc.subject.keywordsFortune 500en_US
dc.subject.keywordsBloombergen_US
dc.subject.keywordsThomson Reutersen_US
dc.subject.keywordsOwnership and Controlen_US
dc.subject.keywordsState Theoryen_US
dc.subject.keywordsCorporate Poweren_US
dc.subject.keywordsCapitalen_US
dc.subject.keywordsCapitalismen_US
dc.subject.keywordsMergers and Acquisitionsen_US
dc.subject.keywordsCapital as Poweren_US
dc.subject.keywordsWorld Wealthen_US
dc.subject.keywordsCorporate Ownershipen_US
dc.subject.keywordsNationality of Capitalen_US
dc.subject.keywordsNationality of Boards of Directorsen_US
dc.subject.keywordsTransnationality Indexen_US
dc.subject.keywordsAmerican Declineen_US
dc.subject.keywordsPoweren_US
dc.subject.keywordsUnited Statesen_US
dc.subject.keywordsState-Owned Enterprisesen_US
dc.subject.keywordsMultinational Corporationsen_US
dc.subject.keywordsUnited States Since 1945en_US
dc.subject.keywordsPost-War World Orderen_US
dc.subject.keywordsAmerican Empireen_US
dc.subject.keywordsInternational Studiesen_US
dc.titleThe Persistence of American Economic Power in Global Capitalism: From the 1960s into the Twenty-First Century
dc.typeElectronic Thesis or Dissertation

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