Global North Political Systems Analysis Brief: India Essay (Article)

Introduction

The division of countries between the Global South and the Global North after the Cold War was one of the most remarkable economic and political events that touched the world. The regions of Latin America, Asia, Africa, and Oceania were named the Global South and characterized by low income and cultural marginalization.¹ Within a short period, a prosperous India-Brazil-South Africa (IBSA) dialogue was formed to support the populations and establish favorable trade and business relationships.² Due to the steps taken by the countries, they got a chance to improve their structures and stabilize the quality of life. In this paper, attention to Indian political and economic structures will be paid to identify the liberty-justice-stability-prosperity (LJSP) balance within the Biblical and political context.

Strengths and Weaknesses in Political Structures

Despite the intentions to achieve prosperity and success, India remains a developing country with multiple goals to be achieved. On the one hand, its strengths include the development and improvement of the federal parliamentary democratic structure and cooperation between governmental bodies.³ On the other hand, such a rapid growth provoked new puzzles and the emergence of complex institutions, corruption, and damaged groups. To stabilize the situation and create a well-working political system, the country’s leaders should remember one of the main Biblical rules about a “relatively balanced-needs existence”.⁴ In total, Indian democracy is beneficial for developing countries because equality and development are encouraged. Still, the influence of rich people cannot be ignored, which may challenge freedom of expression and control.

Strengths and Weaknesses in Economic Structures

Being one of the developing countries in the Global South, India continues demonstrating certain successful steps and failures. On the one hand, the Global South countries were able to develop strong trade interactions and enhance their infrastructures and financing.⁵

Improved Gross Domestic Product rates, definite payment positions, and sophisticated management are additional benefits. The Global South followed the Biblical traditions like awareness of the evils of debts and the existence of evildoers in the economic and political fields.⁶ Credit is also considered as a dangerous offer, and the decisions of the Indian government to avoid unnecessary affairs and dialogues have both positive and negative outcomes. Although there are no unpredictable challenges from unreliable partners, India is not able to change its economy and obtain additional external resources.

The LJSP Balance

As well as the countries of the Global North, India and other representatives of the Global South respect the idea of the LJSP balance. Considering the Biblical and political context, the country experienced remarkable shifts in the 21st century, including the replacement of ideologies with religion and the creation of a new force in human affairs and liberties.⁷ It was not hard for India to understand that a new century introduced new obligations and responsibilities. The question was if the Global South was ready to accept these changes. India does not have the highest ratings in its economic or political development. Still, its achievements removed the country from the list of the regions with the weakest structures. Today, India chooses the right direction and follows a plan to demonstrate its respect for liberty and justice that results in stability and prosperity.

Conclusion

In general, the Global South is not as successful and developed as the Global North. Still, the steps taken by India and other developing countries prove their intentions to change and improve the quality of living, as well as their political and economic structures. The attention to the Biblical rules and the recognition of global standards make India stronger in the intention to establish the LJSP balance.

Bibliography

Dados, Nour, and Raewyn Connell. “The Global South.” Contexts, vol. 11, no. 1 (Winter 2012): 12-13.

Gilley, Bruce. “The Challenge of the Creative Third World.” Third World Quarterly, vol. 36, no. 8 (2015): 1405-1420.

Jenkins, Philip. “U.S.: The Next Christianity.” The Atlantic, 2002. Web.

Mitra, Subrata K. Politics in India: Structure, Process and Policy. 2nd ed. New York: Routledge.

Skeen, James W. “Life Balance: The Need for Blessedness in Our Lives.” The American Journal of Biblical Theology, vol. 17, no. 27 (2016): 1-7. Web.

Stetzer, Ed. “An Interview with Dr. Philip Jenkins, Distinguished Professor of History , on Global Christianity (Part 1).” Christianity Today, 2014. Web.

Stuenkel, Oliver. India-Brazil-South Africa Dialogue Forum (IBSA): The Rise of the Global South. New York: Routledge, 2015.

Footnotes

1. Nour Dados and Raewyn Connell, “The Global South,” Contexts, vol. 11, no. 1 (Winter 2012): 12.
2. Oliver Stuenkel, India-Brazil-South Africa Dialogue Forum (IBSA): The Rise of the Global South (New York: Routledge, 2015): 1.
3. Subrata K. Mitra, Politics in India: Structure, Process and Policy, 2nd ed. (New York: Routledge), 109.
4. James W. Skeen, “Life Balance: The Need for Blessedness in Our Lives,” The American Journal of Biblical Theology, vol. 17, no. 27 (2016): 1. Web.
5. Bruce Gilley “The Challenge of the Creative Third World,” Third World Quarterly, vol. 36, no. 8 (2015): 1408.
6. Ed Stetzer, “An Interview with Dr. Philip Jenkins, Distinguished Professor of History, on Global Christianity (Part 1),” Christianity Today, 2014. Web.
7. Philip Jenkins, “U.S.: The Next Christianity,” The Atlantic, 2002. Web.