Political Globalization

• Political Globalization


  One of the types of globalization that focuses on how the leaders of nations have integrated their laws and built alliances for their mutual benefit
• Political Globalization


  Refers to the diplomatic negotiations between nation-states
• Political Globalization


  Includes the standardization of global rules around trade, criminality, and the rule of law
• Some Definitions of Political Globalization

  • "The expansion of a global political system, and its institutions, in which inter-regional transactions (including, but certainly not limited to trade) are managed." (William R. Thompson)
  • "refers to the amount of political co-operation that exists between different countries." (?)
  • "refers to the intensification and expansion of political interrelations across the globe". (Manfred B. Steger)
• Some Definitions of Political Globalization

  • "the creation of a system of global governance that regulates relationships among nations and guarantees the rights arising from social and economic globalization."
  • The growth of the worldwide political system, both in size and complexity, including national governments, their governmental and intergovernmental organizations as well as government-independent elements of global civil society such as international non-governmental organizations and social movement organizations
• Declining importance of the nation-state


  And the rise of other actors on the political scene
• The creation and existence of the United Nations is called one of the classic examples of political globalization
• Changes associated with political globalization

  • Democratization of the world
  • Creation of the global civil society
  • Moving beyond the centrality of the nation-state, particularly as the sole actor in the field of politics
• Cosmopolitan democracy


  Democracy at transnational or global sphere, as proposed by David Held as a potential outcome of continuing political globalization
• Perspectives on political globalization and the nation-state

  • Hyper globalists argue that globalization has engulfed today's world in such a way that state boundaries are beginning to lose significance
  • Skeptics disregard this as naiveté, believing that the nation-state remains the supreme actor in international relations
• Measuring political globalization


  Aggregating and weighting data on the number of embassies and high commissioners in a country, the number of the country's membership in international organization, its participation in the UN peacekeeping missions, and the number of international treaties signed by said country
• Areas where political globalization can reach

  • Lowering barriers to migration
  • Lowering barriers to the movement of goods and services
  • Agreeing on common standards for labor, intellectual property and environmental protection
• Some have argued that political globalization has led to a declining role of nation-states, which have ceded some power and responsibility to international bodies
• Many nations agree to accept the rulings of the international court of arbitration even if they disagree with them
• State


  A compulsory political organization with a centralized government that maintains the legitimate use of force within a certain territory
• Nation


  A group of people who have a strong sense of unity and common consciousness, based on factors like ethnicity, language, religion, etc.
• Differences between State and Nation

  • Elements of State (population, territory, government, sovereignty) vs Elements of Nation (social, cultural, psychological, emotional and political unity)
  • State is a political organization, Nation is a social, cultural, psychological, emotional and political unity
  • Possession of a definite territory is essential for State but not for Nation
  • Sovereignty is essential for State but not for Nation
  • Nation can be wider than the State
  • There can be two or more Nationalities living in one State
  • Nation is more stable than State
  • A State can be created while a Nation is always the result of evolution
• Nation-state


  A territorially bounded sovereign polity—i.e., a state—that is ruled in the name of a community of citizens who identify themselves as a nation
• The global interstate system and contemporary global governance lack a world government accountable to the people of every country
• Instead, we have a system of global governance without global government, dominated by a few institutions like the World Bank, IMF, WTO and certain financial and commercial interests
• The United Nations is not a world government that governs nation-states, and there is no organization that can militarily compel a state to obey predetermined global rules
• Functions of the United Nations

  • Maintaining international peace and security
  • Protecting human rights
  • Delivering humanitarian aid
  • Promoting sustainable development
  • Upholding international law
• Organs of the United Nations

  • General Assembly
  • Security Council
  • Economic and Social Council
  • Trusteeship Council
  • International Court of Justice
  • Secretariat
• Consensus-building and cooperation are necessary for making global governance through the UN bodies possible
• While globalization strengthens global institutions and the need for global cooperation, it also necessitates the continuous existence of nation-states and national authorities
• Effects of Globalization on Nation-states

  • Conforming to neo-liberal ideas and free-market principles of deregulation, privatization, and free trade
  • Establishing economic and political integrations like the EU and NAFTA
  • Establishment of international laws and principles like the UN, ICC, UNCLOS
  • Rise of transnational activism
  • Creation of new communication networks
• Individuals accused of crimes against humanity such as genocide
• There are universal principles that are adopted by nation-states in relation to the dynamism of globalization
• Two universal principles


  • Universal Declaration of Human Rights that affirms an individual's rights
  • United Nations Convention of the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) that defines the rights of nation-states on the use of the world's oceans
• Transnational activism (TNA)


  When activist groups of nation-states connect with their counterparts in other states
• Globalization


  Binds communities through digital media
• With new technologies in communication, political interaction can happen in a virtual sphere
• People can exchange political perspectives through the internet, therefore stirring political discourse on an online platform
• Because of the network society, nation-states must reshape themselves to become part of global networks in the arena of finance, education, science, technology, arts and sports
• Digital media has become the platform for strategic communications at home and abroad wherein the nation-states can utilize the internet to gather feedback from the citizens
• Social media gives people the power to air their sentiments, and also serves as an avenue to discuss issues
• Intergovernmental organizations (IGOs)


  Established to facilitate connections among nation-states and foster strong economic, political, cultural, educational, and technical intergovernmental relationships
• Objectives of ASEAN


  • To accelerate economic, social and cultural growth and development
  • To promote regional progression
  • To advance peace and sustainability
  • To promote active and beneficial cooperation and mutual assistance in economic, technical, cultural, administrative and scientific fields
• Objectives of the EU

  • To promote peace, its values, and the well-being of its citizens
  • To offer freedom, security, and justice without internal borders
  • To uphold sustainable development based on balanced economic growth and price stability
  • To combat social exclusion and discrimination
  • To promote scientific and technological progress
• Aims of the WTO

  • To ensure that trade runs as smoothly, predictably, and freely as possible
  • To encourage trade by lowering trade barriers that may hinder how products and services flow from nation to nation