Global Politics - A level paper 3

• Humanitarian intervention involves military action taken by one state against another with the aim of protecting civilians from harm.
• Belt and Road Initiative

  • Example of both hard and soft power
  • Sign of china expanding influence - multipolar word - challenging the US
• Financial Crash 2008

  • Highlighted failure of global economic governance with their commitment to neoliberal economics/deregulation
  • Illustrates the liberal bit of comparative theories - the concept of sensitivity ie the speed at which we are infected by global connections
  • Globalisation links to the sceptics/realist view Start of protectionism - ‘de-globalisation’
• Nation state:


  A political community bound together by citizenship and nationality
• Nation:


  A community of people who are united together by shared values and traditions

  -> Language, history, customs or occupation of the same territory
• National Sovereignty:

  Implies that the state has absolute and unlimited power both within its own territory and in global affairs
• Internal sovereignty:

  • The power of A body within the sate to make decisions that are binding on individuals and groups in the territory, and the ability to maintain order
  • Weber -> A monopoly over the use of legitimate violence within the state

  -> Schumpeter: A monopoly over the ability to raise taxes within the state
• External Sovereignty:

  • There is no legal or political authority above the state
  • The right to autonomy to make decisions within the territory of the sate free from external interference
  • No sate or legal body has the right to intervene in the sovereign affairs of any nation-state
• Eval of the nation-state:

  • States are seen as nation states, with the right to rule themselves and nations are the building blocks of global politics
  • Nations have the right to independence and democratic rule
  • Idea of a world on nation-states where states represent a nation is more fiction than fact
  • Many states struggling to gain recognition -> Taiwan , Palestine
  • Most states are culturally and ethnically diverse, so don’t represent a nation
• Key features of the state:

  • An effective government
  • A stable population
  • The ability to enter into relations with other states, which requires recognition by other states
• The Treaty of Westphalia…

  • 1648
  • End of the 30 years war in Europe -> starting point of modern international law and politics
  • Established:

  -> The principle of sovereignty of states

  -> The principle of legal equality between states

  -> The principle of non-intervention by one state in the internal affairs of another

  • ‘Westphalian system’ -> A statecentric view of the world, which sees states as central to international relations -> (closely aligned with realism)
• Eval of national sovereignty:

  • Sovereignty has provided the basis for international law -> UNGA
  • Sovereignty is also the basis for conflict ->
  • Globalisation and growing levels of interdependence -> Loss of hard boarders
  • Increasing roll of non-state actors -> TNC’s , NGO’s -> All work outside traditional sovereignty
  • Intergovernmentalism to supranationalism -> growing roll of international institutions ; EU
  • Growing tension between national sovereignty and human rights -> R2P
• 5 Permanent members of the UNSC

  -> UK

  -> USA

  -> France

  -> Russia

  -> China
• BRICS


  -> Brazil

  -> Russia

  -> India

  -> China

  -> South Africa
• 3 Members of the G7

  -> USA

  -> UK

  -> Japan
• 2 European countries not in the EU

  -> UK

  -> Norway
• Where R2P intervention has been used 


  -> Libya 2011
• Criticisms of the ICC

  -> African bias

  -> State Sovereignty

  -> Only 2/3rds of countries have signed the treaty
• UNSC


  -> Made up of 15 memebrs

  -> Decisions are binding on all UN member states

  -> 10 members are non-permanent

  -> There are 5 permanent members - Russia, France, China, USA and UK
• NATO


  -> Formed in 1949

  -> Derived from Article 51 of the UN charter

  -> Established by the signing of the Washington Treaty

  -> Article 5 is a statement of collective defence

  ->Article 5 has only been triggered once (after 9/11)
• World Bank


  -> founded in 1944

  -> One of the Bretton Woods Institutions

  -> Initially focused on post war reconstruction

  -> From the 1960’s, focused on poverty and development

  -> Only developing countries can borrow from this institution
• Globalisation is a force for good:

  -> War less likely - Common interests unites countries

  -> Easier to trade between nations
• Globalisation is NOT a force for good:

  -> World is divided into Idelogical blocks

  -> Excessive trading is leading to environmental catastrophe
• Realist ideas:


  ->Billiard Model

  -> States are most important acotrs

  -> War is Inevitable
• Features of soft power:

  -> Humanitarian assistance

  -> Language

  -> Cultural exchange
• Regional organisations:


  -> EU

  -> NAFTA

  -> African Union

  -> Arab League
• IMF


  ->1980’s - evolved to focus on transition of former soviet bloc countries in Europe to market economics and focusing on global economic instability

  ->Failed to predict 2008 financial crisis - Greece and eurozone

  ->Doctor, coach, firefighter

  ->Prevents bankruptcy and contagion to other economies

  ->debt relief

  ->SAPs - pulls country into more debt

  ->Tool of western neo-liberalism

  ->‘one size fits all’ approach

  ->Hypocritical - member states can have tariffs to protect farmers but countries under SAPs cannot

  ->Focused on helping countries to reach the sustainable development goals
• World Bank


  -> Only gives loans to undeveloped countries

  -> Provides loans and technical assistance

  -> Neo-liberal

  -> SAPs

  -> ‘Poverty free world’

  -> ‘knowledge bank’

  -> Country ownership - giving states more say in how loans are spent

  -> Requires cuts to public spending

  -> Dominated by US vote share (same as IMF)
• World Trade Organisation 


  -> Replaced the General Agreement of Trades & Tariffs

  -> Encourages Memebrs to reduce tariffs and subsides - ‘Most favoured nation’

  -> Trade rules and negotiates trade disputes - can enforce sanctions if rules are broken

  -> Focuses exclusively on free trade

  -> Reenforces structural inequalities in global trade

  -> Restrains protectionism
• Globalisation has quickened the process of needing global economic governance
• G7


  -> Cooporation

  -> Economic polity issues and coordinate system of global governance

  -> Encourage greater global financial stability

  -> Was G8 - Russia removed in 2014 for annexation of Crimea

  -> Statements are non- binding

  -> Outdated membership - top global economic powers hut no china (2nd largest)?

  -> USA, UK, Japan, France, Italy, Canada, Germany

  -> Avoids controversial issues

  -> London 2013 - 1st global dementia conference held
• G20


  -> More representation than G7 - greater legitimacy

  -> Discussion of major political/economic issues

  -> 85% of global GDP

  -> Focal point for anti-capitalist protests - particularly in early 2000’s

  -> Expensive annual meetings

  -> Unfair cut off at 20

  -> Outcomes watered down

  -> Communique - States cannot be held to account for what they agreed to at summits
• Free trade union


  Reduced barriers and tariffs to trade between member states
• Customs union


  A free trade area plus tariffs on the rest of the world
• Common market


  A customs union plus free movement of labour and capital
• Economic Globalisation


  Increased interconnectedness and integration of national economies, societies, and cultures around the world
• Advantages of economic globalisation

  • Encourages growth and development since the end of the Cold War
  • Most countries have now adopted free market / free trade policies
  • China and India have lifted millions of their populations out of poverty
  • Global competition reduces price of goods
  • Best way for nation states to increase prosperity by attracting investments and trading opportunities
• Left criticisms of economic globalisation

  • Leads to exploitation of workers
  • 'Race to the bottom': developing countries attract investment by offering cheapest possible employment conditions
  • Industrialisation leads to break up of traditional communities in these counties
  • Alienating work in factories to produce global goods - FoxConn suicides
  • Neocolonial dependency
• Right criticisms of economic globalisation

  • TNCs moving operations abroad damaged manufacturing in USA - increase in nationalism - Trump support in 'Rust Belt' 2016
  • Case against freedom of movement of people and labour
• Free trade opens up markets

  Developing countries can take advantage of the opportunities of global market