Global Politics: The State

• Global politics scholars focus on the state as an institution that shapes welfare and economic policies.

The State Defined

• A state is a political unit with authority over its affairs and borders recognized by other countries.
• It is typically assumed a state can determine what happens within its borders.
• Globalization challenges traditional ideas of nation-state, state sovereignty, governmental control, and state policies.
• Some scholars believe that the power of the state is decreasing as other actors, such as multinational corporations and global civil societies like the Red Cross, gain influence.

Attributes of World Politics

• Independent and Sovereign States
• Diplomatic interaction between states
• International interactions facilitated by International Organizations like the UN
• Operation of International Organizations independently, beyond just facilitating meetings

State vs. Nation

• A nation is a large-scale solidarity, unified by shared sacrifices, past and future.
• In layman's terms, a state refers to a country and its government, possessing four attributes
• A nation, as defined by Benedict Anderson, is an imagined community.
• A nation is imagined, limited, and may strive to become a state.
• Not all states are nations, and not all nations are states.
• Scotland is a nation but not a state, as it belongs to the United Kingdom.
• The Philippines is an example of a state comprised of multiple nations.
• North Korea and South Korea are separate states but are considered one nation (Korean Nation).
• China and Taiwan are considered nations with multiple states.

Nationalism

• A nation is an imagined community, limited in scope, that seeks to govern itself.

The Westphalian Order

• Solidified by nationalism in the 19th century.
• The earliest case of nationalism in Asia was the Philippines.
• The Treaty of Westphalia in 1648 ended the Thirty Years' War among major European powers.
• The Westphalian system provided stability in Europe until challenged by Napoleon Bonaparte.

Global Politics Since Westphalia

• Global politics responds to notions of sovereignty that stem from Westphalia.
• The Napoleonic Code by Napoleon Bonaparte, implemented by the French, forbade birth privileges.
• The Napoleonic Code encourage freedom of religion and promoted meritocracy in government service.
• The Concert of Europe was an alliance of "Great Powers" (UK, Austria, Russia, Prussia).
• The Concert of Europe sought to restore monarchial, hereditary, and religious privileges that existed before the French Revolution and Napoleonic Wars.

Internationalism

• Internationalism seeks to transcend the interstate system and foster increased interstate relations.

Liberal Internationalism

• Liberal Internationalism includes the idea of common international principles, inspired by Kant.
• Liberal Internationalism highlights cooperation and respect among nation-states, inspired by Mazzini and Wilson.
• Liberal Internationalism promotes global democracy, as advocated by Wilson.
• These ideas formed the foundation of the League of Nations and the United Nations.

Socialist Internationalism

• Socialist Internationalism advocated by Karl Marx
• "Workers of the world unite"
• "The proletariat has no nation"
• Marxist anti-nationalism considers national affinity a hindrance to the worker's struggle.
• The socialist movement included the organization of labor and socialist parties, mainly in Europe.
• Achievements: 8-hour working day, International Women's Day, May 1
• The socialist movement collapsed in 1916 as member parties supported their respective states' war efforts.

Global Governance in the 21st Century

• The declining power of nation-states opens the possibility for global governance to fill the void (Cerny, 2007).
• Extensive flows of various elements cross nation-state borders, including digital information via the internet.
• It is difficult for a nation-state to stop such flow, and attempts to do so could be politically unpopular.
• Mass migration of people into various nation-states may require global governance to manage.
• Criminal activities like drugs, money laundering, and sex trafficking increase calls for global governance (Leavy and Szneider, 2006).
• National governments struggle with events, whether internally fomented or carried out by others (Nordstrum, 2004).
• Global problems like financial crises and pandemics such as COVID-19 require more than single nation-state resolutions.

Effects of Globalization on Government

• State sovereignty includes the concept that government is the key aspect,
• Government is the group with ultimate authority to act for the state.
• Each state has the right to self-determination.
• Other countries should not intervene unless there is a compelling reason.
• Other countries should recognize each state’s sovereignty and right to govern its territory.
• Each state is autonomous, self-responsible, and accountable to its governed population.
• Decisions, conflicts, and resolutions are handled by government institutions, whether through elections or other means.
• Policy is developed and implemented in the people's interest by governments, especially in democratic societies, in which the state has leadership.
• Civil society, including the private economy, educational and religious institutions, hospitals, and non-profits, can act to supplement or counterbalance government.

Global Economics

• The global economy demands conformance to free-market capitalism.
• Government austerity comes from organizations and agreements that foster international cooperation.
• The World Trade Organization (WTO), NAFTA, EU, and ASEAN are examples of organizations and agreements that foster international cooperation.
• Neoliberal economics, emphasizes free trade and dismantling barriers, started in the 1980s.
• Neoliberal economics discourages governments from imposing restrictions on corporate presence, capital flows, and jobs.
• Free trade is viewed as the ideal, with minimal trade barriers.
• Laws interfering with capital flow, including environmental regulations hindering economic growth, are discouraged.
• Neoliberal economics involves state cooperation in the global market through free capital flow, privatization of services, and fiscal austerity.
• In neoliberal economics, the government's role is diminished in relation to the market.
• It is seen as a threat because the state may not protect its economic interests as a sovereign entity.
• The IMF and World Bank can expand global economic influence by compelling poorer countries to undertake government reforms.
• Developed countries may build factories and produce goods in developing countries.
• These corporations will sell in developing countries, fostering inequality.

Global Social Movements

• Social movements, either spontaneous or emerging from grassroots organizations, are composed of movements of people.
• Social movements are transnational movements that occur across countries and borders.
• Global social movements limit control of the state.
• The death of George Floyd and the Hong Kong pro-democracy movement are examples.
• Environmental movements, international organizations like the UN, global media, the International Criminal Court, and NGOs also play a role.

Globalization and Globalism

• Globalization describes the increase or decline in the degree of globalism (Nye, 2002).
• Globalism refers to a network of connections transcending distances.
• Informationalism is a technological paradigm involving computer science and telecommunications that replaces industrialism (Castells, 2004).