What are the contours of the global economic system and what are its mechanisms of change? This project examines systematically and empirically one measure of globalization-the structure and configuration of world trade networks during the twentieth century. A preliminary analysis of global trade networks at four time points--in 1928, 1938, 1960 and 1990--suggests that, in the twentieth century, there were two phases of a long cycle of the global economy: a "globalization" phase and a "polarization" phase. This proposed research will extend these preliminary findings to investigate all of the years from 1920 to the present in order to map the contractions, expansions, structure of global trade networks, and the overall shape of the global system. This research has the potential to contribute to a general understanding of the nature of global cycles and the characteristics and nature of global economic change. This research will involve undergraduates as research assistants and contribute to the development of a research infrastructure at California State University, Los Angeles.
