CHAPTER 4:

THE GLOBAL INTERSTATE SYSTEM

OBJECTIVES:

At the end of the semester, the students shall be able to:

1. explain the effects of globalization on governments;

2. identify the institutions that govern international relations; and

3. differentiate informationalism from globalization.

INTRODUCTION:

Traditionally, the state has always been the subject of most interest to scholars of
global politics. The state has always been viewed as the “institution that creates warfare
and sets economic policies for a country.” Other countries recognize its boundaries
making state as a political unit that has authority over its own affairs. Therefore, its leader
or in charge of the borders has the right to know exactly what is happening in their
country. The Treaty of Westphalia of 1648 established the idea of the nation-state and of
sovereignty.

This chapter will discuss about the state, regional alliances, and worldwide
organizations of states, among others. The Amnesty International, other multinational
corporations and non-governmental organizations are important organizations that test
the strength of national autonomy and global politics.
GLOBAL GOVERNANCE in the TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY

The declining power of nation-states is the first on the list of specific factors behind
the emergence of global governance. The vast flows of all sorts of things that run into
and often right through the boarders of nation-states is a second factor. The flow of
digital information of all kinds from the internet is included in this which is very difficult to
stop. Another is the mass migration of people wherein some enter various nation-states
illegally. This also involves the problem of the flow of criminal elements and their products
such as illegal drugs, laundered money, sex trafficking, and the like. This needs call for
global governance (Levy and Sznaider, 2006). A need for an effective authority and
improvement of human life are a few of the concerns that must be taken priority.

There are also the horrendous events that happened like that in Darfur, Sudan in 2003,
wherein hundreds of thousands have been killed and millions of people have been
displaced, because of the conflict between the ethnic and tribal groups and the
resistance of Sudanese government from outside interference in its internal affairs. In
addition with this, who would forget the Holocaust that happened in WWII?

Besides there are also global problems that single nation-states cannot handle on
their own like the global financial crises wherein Southeast Asian nations have always
been the victims (Strange, 1996).

(Please refer to learning path in e-LMS for the powerpoint presentation of this lesson for
further explanation)