Fragmented Globalization: Conceptualizing and Empirically Grounding the New Trajectory of Global Interconnection

The post–Cold War liberal order faces a structural inflection point. Protectionist policies, supply-chain realignment, and geopolitical rivalries have sparked debate over whether globalization is reversing or merely transforming. This article argues that the world is not deglobalizing but entering a state of Fragmented Globalization—a qualitatively distinct pattern of interdependence characterized by selective decoupling in strategic goods and the simultaneous intensification of integration through digital and services flows. Two mechanisms sustain this re-patterned system: (1) the rise of Connector States that intermediate between rival blocs, and (2) the continued globalization of intangible and digital services. We combine theoretical synthesis with robust empirical methods, including network analysis and an original index, to demonstrate that while physical interdependence is becoming more adversarial, global connectivity persists through new, strategically managed architectures. The article proposes a conceptual and empirical framework for studying the asymmetry of fragmentation within International Political Economy (IPE)