Globalization and Local Governance: Implications from Wal-Mart's Expansion

Abstract

This article focuses on one set of examples where globalization and relocalization have proven strong and determined political, economic, and cultural forces. By examining Wal-Mart's efforts to site a new store in Colchester, Connecticut, we paint a local political mosaic where globalization (in the form of Wal-Mart and its corporate culture) met head on with the forces working to preserve the local. At its broadest level, this case highlights some of the ways in which globalization necessitates changes in governance structures and processes—local and beyond—as communities attempt to navigate the impacts of globalization. The concluding section discusses a number of policy lessons and implications that can be drawn from this case.