The questions below will be the focus of our on-line discussion forum for the coming week.

Please be sure that you reply to each of my questions (I will be asking three questions). Remember that for each question I ask you must respond to me and make replies to no less than three other students.

Our readings this week address the topic of globalization, crime and terrorism. I selected a reading by Javed Younas titled “Does Globalization Mitigate the Adverse Effects of Terrorism on Growth”. This is an important reading on several fronts since terrorist operations often are motivated to disrupt national economies while making the domestic population wary of international economic interference in domestic affairs. It is a complicated reading given its statistical method but Younas does a good job of explaining his primary findings. The second article by Gregg Barak focuses on globalization’s impact on crime and crime control practices at the domestic and international levels by looking at 15 different nations.

My first question is below:

The study by Younas focuses on 120 developing nations over a period of time from 1976-2008. Paying meticulous attention to the statistical analysis of his panel data, his findings seem consistent regarding this interplay of terrorism, globalization and economic growth. I would like you to state in your own words what you think is his primary finding. What other research findings did you find interesting and explain why they struck you as interesting. Finally, discuss the implications of the U-shaped relationship between globalization and growth in terms of how developing nations might better manage globalization to maximize its effect on both terrorism and growth.

My second question is below:

The article by Gregg Barak exposes us to three crime and crime control models but the question remains whether these models, alone or in some combined form, help us account not only for crime in the global age but how nations can counter or manage crime. Given your understanding of the article, discuss and explain which model or combination of models appears most valid to you. What do you see as the greatest threat from crime in our globalized world and how best do you think it should be controlled?

Tip: for now, you’ll focus on answering the two questions raised and commenting briefly on the four posts. I won’t know the contents of the four posts until you finish the two questions.