Robles, Maria Theresa Anna Castillo (2019) Through Whose Lens? The Politics of Regional and Global Surveillance and Systemic Risk in East Asia. PhD thesis, University of Warwick.

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Abstract

Financial and macroeconomic surveillance involves the construction of metrics and models defining what represents ‘strong’ economic fundamentals and how this translates to growth. The conduct of surveillance is also driven by the notion that countries should be held accountable to the international community for the external impact of their internal policy decisions. Whilst surveillance is portrayed as a technical and apolitical exercise, it is also a political statement on what constitutes economic growth and what its sources and consequences are. This thesis examines the expansion of regional (East Asia through ASEAN+3) and global (IMF) surveillance frameworks after the global financial crisis to illustrate how the seemingly technical process of surveillance is a political exercise as well. Specifically, it argues that the mathematical models underpinning surveillance are a useful political resource in two ways: First, the emergence of different surveillance models to support regional and global surveillance gives technical justifications for competing political assertions on the risks to economic growth. Second, the proliferation of overlapping surveillance models simultaneously defines and displaces accountability in global economic governance.

Mathematical modelling involves the construction and maintenance of a false dichotomy between the technical and the political. Despite its prevailing problems, the appeal of surveillance as a technocratic regulatory project has not wavered as its models can be used to justify the growing demands for and limitations of technical interventions in global economic governance. This thesis contributes to related studies on the politics of metrics and models in economic policy by examining these two parallel yet contradictory processes as a product of methodological choices specific to the practice of mathematical formalism. It does so by developing an interdisciplinary approach drawing from philosophy of science, economic sociology, and IPE literature to trace the interplay between technical and political logics in mathematical modelling.

Item Type:	Thesis (PhD)
Subjects:	D History General and Old World > DS Asia H Social Sciences > HB Economic Theory H Social Sciences > HD Industries. Land use. Labor H Social Sciences > HF Commerce
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH):	International economic relations, Globalization -- Economic aspects -- East Asia, East Asia -- Economic conditions -- 21st century, Economic development -- International cooperation, Economic forecasting -- East Asia
Official Date:	February 2019
Dates:	Date Event February 2019 UNSPECIFIED
Institution:	University of Warwick
Theses Department:	Department of Politics and International Studies
Thesis Type:	PhD
Publication Status:	Unpublished
Supervisor(s)/Advisor:	Clift, Ben ; Kelly, Dominic
Sponsors:	British Federation of Women Graduates
Extent:	xii, 283 leaves
Language:	eng

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