MODULE 4 States, Nations and Globalization

I. Overview
The learners will further understand the state and be acquainted with the
fundamental differences among state, government and nation.

II. Objectives
1. Define Nation and State;
2. Differentiate state from government;
3. Differentiate nation from state;
4. Explain meanings of globalization;
5. Identify several forms of globalization;
6. And Evaluate how globalization influences nation-states.

III. Content Outline

A. States, Governments and Nations
The state is a political community that has sovereign jurisdiction over a clearly
defined territory, and exercises authority through several institutions, including the
government. Heywood (2013) offers five features of a state:
1. It is sovereign.
2. Its institutions are public.
3. It is an exercise of legitimation.
4. It is an instrument of domination.
5. It is territorial association.
In a globalized community, the state rests in four elements, namely: sovereignty,
government, territory and people. Sovereignty refers both jurisdiction (the ability of a state to
exercise its authority over its territory and people) and independence (the freedom from
external control). The government is the machinery of the state through which the people’s
will is formulated and carried out. The territory includes all the land, sea and airspace the
state exercises jurisdiction on. Finally, the people or population is the organization of human
beings living together as a community.

There are several classifications of states depending on the perspective one adheres to.
Roskin (2012) claimed that while no international tribunal classifies states based on strength,
analyts provide three categories.

Type of State Characteristics

Effective  The state controls and taxes the entire territory.
 Laws are mostly obeyed.
 The state provides general welfare and security.
 There exists only minor corruption.
Weak  Crime has penetrated politics.
 Government is weak in fighting lawlessness, corruption
and poverty.
 Justice is bought and elections are rigged.
 Governmental revenues go to private pockets.
Failed  No national government exists.
 The state is ruled by warlords, private army and
militias.
  “Gun” is the law.
 Education and health standards decline.

The government serves as a mechanism of the state, through which the will of the
people is expressed, formulated and carried out. One way of studying political institutions is
through identifying the locus of power- that is, by asking the question, “Who governs?”

From this, government may be classified in several ways. One of the earliest
classifications was that of Aristotle’s. He distinguished governments based on who governs
and whether or not such government is positive (legitimate) or negative (corrupt). The table
below presents Aristotle’s classic work.

Aristotle’s Six Types of Governments

Who governs? How many? Positive Forms Negative Forms

One Monarchy Tyranny
Few Aristocracy Oligarchy
Many Polity Democracy
For more info., go to
http://www.politicalsciencenotes.com/articles/classification.government-sccording-aristotle/
308.

Several Key Differences according to Heywood (2013):

Key Distinctions between State and Government

State
Scope A more extensive entity; it
encompasses all institutions and
citizens
Duration Continuing and permanent body
of a political system
Representation Represents the interest of
society where the common
good is achieved
Others Exercises impersonal authority;
its personnel are trained in
bureaucratic ways
Government
An element/ part of the state; it is
the means through which state
authority is exercised.
Temporary and can be changed
from time to time
Represents the interests of those in
power at a given period
The “government of the day” is
ideologically biased

How about a nation? How different id it from a state and from a government?

If a state is a political community bound by political obligations, a nation is a group

of people bound together by commonalities in language, history, traditions and religion. In
this case, a nation is not just cultural but could be political as well- especially when the
people share a common civic consciousness. Although not necessary, a nation can also be
seen as psychological when people share identification, loyalty or affection in the form of
patriotism (Heywood 2013).
 The integration of the state and the nation forms the nation-state. This political
organization is widely recognized in the contemporary world. As an entity, its strength relies
on the fusion of both the cultural and political aspects present in a state and a nation, allowing
for cultural cohesion and at the same time political unity. However, nation-states have been
met with challenges, including, but not limited to, the growth of ethnic politics and
globalization.

B. Globalization and the Nation-State

Globalization is considered to be one of the most important threats to the nation-state.
But what is this phenomenon? What impact does it have on people’s lives and nation-states?
Heywood (2013) illustrates the phenomenon of globalization as the process through which
societies have become so embedded or interconnected that events and decisions in one part of
the world have significant effects on the lives of people in the other part of the world.
Transformations in production of goods and the flow of financial capital resources can be a
result of the further integration of economies in the world economy. For instance, changes in
domestic politics and economy of the Philippines can actually be caused by events happening
in different countries. To illustrate this, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)
integration may have caused developments in Philippine educational policies (e.g., the
implementation of the K-12 Basic Education Program), so that the movement of the students
within the member-countries will be free-flowing too. How and why does this happen? What
are the characteristics of globalization as a phenomenon? Heywood (2013) enumerates its
features.
1. Declining relevance of geographical distance
2. Lessening significance territorial boundaries
3. Deepening and broadening of political processes, such that the local, national and
global events constantly interact.
Globalization is an outcome of a growing interdependence among actors, activities and
processes all over the world. Several forms of globalization can be identifies of which
Heywood (2013) listed three- Economic, Cultural and Political. The following table
summarizes the key features of globalization and enumerates some examples.

Forms of Globalization
Form of Globalization Features/Characteristics
Economic All economies have been
integrated in a global
economy.
Sociocultural Information, commodities
and images from one part
of the world to make
cultural differences
between nations and
individuals less significant.
Manifestations/Examples
 Internationalized
production.
 Financial capital
flowing freely
between countries.
 McDonaldization or
what George Ritzer
(1993) called as
rationalization that
Max Weber found
in bureaucracies
extended to fast-
food chains. This
then leads to
standardization of
 processes such as
production.
 Information
revolution.
 Global brands
penetrating the local
scene.
Political The importance of  Influence on
international organizations, domestic issues of
transnational organizations such
organizations, and as United Nations,
nongovernmental World Trade
organizations is being Organization,
recognized. World Bank, Asian
Development Bank,
International Red
Cross and World
Wide Fund for
Nature.