Threats to the Nation-State PDF

Threats to the Nation- State Threats to the Nation-State As a result, one observer In fact many of the global flows concludes that the “state is today that slice through the state highly contingent and in flux” indicate that the nation‐st...

Threats to the Nation- State Threats to the Nation-State As a result, one observer In fact many of the global flows concludes that the “state is today that slice through the state highly contingent and in flux” indicate that the nation‐state is (Cerny 2007: 854). Meaning to not, and undoubtedly never has say, state is highly contingent or been, such a “container.” dependent, or conditioned by something else or fluctuating  The nation‐state is especially threatened by the GLOBAL Global Economy ECONOMY AND GLOBAL ECONOMIC FLOWS.  An extreme argument is made by Ohmae 1996, who contends that Notes… “The uncomfortable truth is that, in terms of the global economy, nation‐states have become little more than bit actors” (1996: 12). A similar argument is made by Strange 1996, who contends that the decline of the nation‐state is linked to technological and financial changes, as well as to “the accelerated integration of national economies into one single global market economy” (1996: 13–14). Yes nation‐states once controlled markets, it is now the markets that often control the nation‐ states. In this context, Strange takes on the Westphalia system and dubs it a “WESTFAILURE.” She does so because the state has failed to control the financial system  Strange give two examples Great Recession Asian Financial Crisis Political Ideologies The meaning of Ideology  When political ideas are discussed they are commonly grouped together into ‘IDEOLOGIES’  Was coined during the French Revolution and first used in 1797 by Destutt de Tracy to a new ‘science of ideas’  Ideologies are political in that they are action-oriented, they inspire and guide groups in undertaking some kind of ‘organized social action’  Each ideology may possess characteristics set of ideas and beliefs, but these ideas are constantly being revised and redefined. Empirical Normative  Liberalism Sees individuals as autonomous agents with rights and freedoms, stressing the need for equality of opportunity and minimal but necessary state intervention  Liberalism Conservatism Values the individual but emphasizes responsibility within social structures, prioritizing tradition and the importance of institutions like family and religion.  Liberalism Communism Subordinates individual interests to the collective good, Conservatism aiming to create equality by dissolving class differences, with the belief that individuals are best realized in a classless, communal society. Foreign Policy Left side – Peace, not war (Multilateralism and Unilateralism Right Side – Aggressive (9/11) The political Spectrum  In terms of values, Left-wingers are committed to a belief in human equality and the possibility of achieving it. Right-wingers are characterized by their belief that equality is either undesirable or impossible.  The weakness of this political spectrum is that it tries to reduce politics to a single dimension, and suggest that political views can be classified according to merely one criterion. However, Political ideologies are in fact highly complex collection of beliefs, values, and doctrines why any kind of spectrum is forced to over-simplify Neoliberalism  Neoliberalism emerged in the 1930s as a combination of the liberal commitment to individual liberty and neoclassical economics. Neoliberalism The idea of neoliberalism refers to the free operation of the market and minimal intervention by the state were the cornerstones of the theory.  Neoliberalism's intellectual leaders were economists, especially Friedrich von Hayek and Ludwig von Mises. Friedman taught economics at the University of Chicago beginning in 1946, and Hayek (“patron saint History of of the Chicago School” [Klein 2007: 131]) was a colleague there for a time in the 1950s. Neoliberalism The Chicago economics department became the center of the neoliberal approach and produced a number of students who became known as the “Chicago Boys.” After they finished their advanced degrees, the Chicago Boys either went back to their home countries or served as consultants in various places throughout the world. They spread the neoliberal doctrine taught at Chicago by Friedman and played a central role in it becoming policy in a number of nations. The basic free‐ market premises of this economic doctrine were derived from Friedman's teachings and writings (especially Capitalism and Freedom ). They involved the privatization of industry, the deregulation of the economy, and the reduction of spending on social welfare programs. In the political arena, laws and regulations were dismantled, to destroy the integrity or function of laws and regulations of states. Terms to consider: Free market: A market free of any impediments. Deregulation: A commitment by nation‐states to limit or eliminate restraints on the free market and free trade. Limited government: No government can do things as well as the market, and a government should not intervene in the market  There are a variety of other factors threatening the autonomy of the nation‐state 1. Flows of information 2. Undocumented immigrants Global Flows 3. New social movements 4. Terrorists 5. Criminals 6. Drugs 7. Money 8. Sex-Trafficking