Globalization and Polarization in Developing Countries : Cross-Country Evidence and Case Studies of South Korea and Poland

How does economic globalization shape political polarization in the developing world? This book examines the political consequences of global market integration across democracies in the developing world. While globalization has generated unprecedented economic growth and investment opportunities, it has also produced new forms of economic inequality, insecurity, and social division. The benefits of market integration have often been unevenly distributed, leaving many citizens feeling economically deprived and politically alienated.
Eunyoung Ha argues that globalization contributes to political polarization not only by creating economic winners and losers but also by constraining governments’ ability to respond to public demands. Faced with intense international competition, many governments have struggled to expand social welfare protections or address growing economic grievances. As gaps between public expectations and policy responses widen, dissatisfaction with established parties and political elites can fuel populist movements, anti-globalization sentiment, anti-immigrant politics, and broader political polarization. Drawing on cross-national analyses of democracies across the developing world, original datasets, and in-depth case studies of South Korea and Poland, Globalization and Polarization in Developing Countries: Cross-Country Evidence and Case Studies of South Korea and Poland traces the complex relationship between globalization, public opinion, party competition, and political conflict. By linking economic transformation to contemporary political divisions, it offers a new comparative framework for understanding polarization in the developing world.