Global Interstate System

TCW/CW: The Contemporary World
Global Interstate System

Learning Outcomes
❑ Explain the effects of globalization on governments
❑ Identify the institutions that govern international relations
❑ Differentiate internationalism from globalism
The Contemporary World

TCW/CW Social Science Division
For a very long time, states have been a dominant actors in
international affairs. The interstate system have been
organized around the principles of state sovereignty,
territoriality, and non-interference.

But the idea of state has been transformed over time. The
state in the contemporary world is in many ways different
from the kind of state there was centuries ago. Not only that,
non-state actors, such as international organizations and
global corporations, continue to grow in number and take on
roles that either supplement, overlap, or even replace that of
the state.
What is an International Organization?
❑ An international organization is an organization with an
international membership, scope or presence.

What does Global Corporation mean?
❑ A global company is generally referred to as a
multinational corporation (MNC). An MNC is a
company that operates in two or more
countries, leveraging the global environment
to approach varying markets in attaining
revenue generation.
❑ These international operations are pursued as
a result of the strategic potential provided by
technological developments, making new
markets a more convenient and profitable
pursuit both in sourcing production and
pursuing growth.
MNC example:

The Interstate System
❑ The idea of a 'system' requires the existence of units,
among which interactions take place.
❑ In the interstate system, the units are the states, and the
interactions include war, diplomacy, and cooperation.

Principles of the Contemporary
Interstate System
❑ Sovereignty
❑ Territoriality
❑ Non-interference

What does sovereignty mean?
❑ Derived from the Latin term superanus through the French term
souveraineté, sovereignty was originally meant to be the
equivalent of supreme power. However, in practice it often has
departed from this traditional meaning.
❑ In political theory, the ultimate overseer, or authority, in the
decision-making process of the state and in the maintenance of
order.
❑ The concept of sovereignty-one of the most controversial ideas
in political science and international law is closely related to the
difficult concepts of state and government and of independence
and democracy.
Examples of exercising Sovereignty
Simply, sovereignty means - It is the supreme authority within its
territory.
Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno talk in 16th Asian

Financial Forum (AFF) on January 11, 2023 at the Hong
Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC).

What does territoriality mean?
❑ Is a term associated with non verbal communication that refers to
how people use space (territory) communicate ownership or
occupancy of areas and possessions.

Example of Territoriality

What does noninterference mean?
❑ Is the act of or something that obstructs or hinders.
❑ Non-interventionism or non-intervention is a political philosophy
or national foreign policy doctrine that opposes interference in
the domestic politics and affairs of other countries but, in
contrast to isolationism, is not necessarily opposed to
international commitments in general.

Peace of Westphalia
❑ Westphalia is a region in northwestern Germany and one of the
three historic parts of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia.
❑ Westphalia is known for the 1648 Peace of Westphalia which
ended the Thirty Years War'. Peace of Westphalia was a series of
peace treaties signed.

Peace of Westphalia
❑ The peace was negotiated, from 1644, in the Westphalian towns
of Münster and Osnabrück.
❑ Three treaties were signed to end each of the overlapping wars:
the Peace of Münster, the Treaty of Münster, and the Treaty of
Osnabrück.

Peace of Westphalia
State-centered international system is States were not the main actors before
relatively new the Westphalian Treaty in 1648
At the micro level, authority Europe before the Westphalian

centered on political units smaller Treaty consisted of feudal entities
than the states
At the macro level, authority existed State was not the locus
in the form of Roman Catholic of power
Church

Peace of Westphalia
❑ Westphalian Treaty of 1648
recognized the sovereign rights
of the state -became the basis
for the Westphalian
international system (i.e.
modern interstate system)

❑ It has been said that the current interstate system is the result of
a convergence of many factors -political as well as economic
factors
❑ What are these factors? These factors primarily were: capital and
coercion, that is: wealth (resources), and means to launch wars
❑ They enabled the monarchs to wield powers against Church and
feudal lords

Peace of Westphalia
Money
Capitalist Tax
Money in
Class Monarchs Bureaucracy Collection
Economy
Economy Army
Security

Peace of Westphalia

Results
❑ ended the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648) in the Holy Roman
Empire, and the Eighty Years' War(1568–1648) between Spain
and the Dutch Republic, with Spain formally recognizing the
independence of the Dutch Republic.
❑ under the terms of the peace settlement, a number of countries
received territories or were confirmed in their sovereignty over
territories.

Results
Five Principles in Politics
1. The principle of state sovereignty.
2. The principle of legal (equality)of states.
3. The principle of non-intervention of one states in international
affairs of another.
4. International law and diplomacy.
5. Reason of state replaced religion.

Impact of Peace of Westphalia

1. Development
❑ Emerging of Westphalia
❑ Reduction of role played by religion

i. Pope of head of Catholic Church
ii. Emperor head of HRE

1. Development
❑ Rise of Nation-states
❑ Birth of an International System based on
plurality of International States
❑ Recognizing no superior authority over
them

2. Westphalian System
❑ Known as ‘Original Territorial Basis of Modern Interstate
System’
Features
Nation-states are
territorially Autonomous
independent

3. Anti-Hegemonic System
❑ based on feudal, hierarchy system
❑ ended hegemony of Habsburg Empire
❑ emphasized :
i. Independence
ii. Territorial Sovereignty
iii. Sovereign Equality
iv. separation of states rather than unity of Christendom (rejected
pope as absolute authority)

4. Adoption in United Nations
❑ Article 2(1) of the United Nations Charter.
The organization is based on the principle of Sovereign equality of all its
members.
❑ Article 2(7) of the United Nations Charter.

Nothing contained in the present charter shall authorize the United Nations to
intervene in matters which are essentially within the domestic jurisdiction of any
state or shall require the members to submit such matters to settlement under the
present charter.

5. Growth of National Consciousness
❑ Number of states has grown enormously
❑ Many changes in inter-state relations in the State system
❑ After WWII, large number of Asian and American countries
become equal sovereign through decolonization

6. International Relations
❑ According to Jaclyn Hawtin, Treaty of Westphalia created an
opening for nation states to have a new kind of conversation
with each other, one where agreements could be made and
power could be exchanged in a logical and rational way.

Globalization
Broadly defined as the migration of human activities from the narrow confines of the nation state to a much
larger scale.
For example; the Integration of national economies through trade, investment, capital flow, labor migration
and technology
Globalization results from the removal of barriers between national economies to encourage the flow of
goods, services, capital and labor.
It helped globalize the world economy, transportation and communication technologies.
Why it matters? Increasingly, businesses must recognize that their success depends on efficiency and
scalability that is being able to quickly mobilize global resources and reach world markets
But, globalization has led economic decision-making away from local control.

Globalization
States are becoming less Westphalian in terms of legal power to intervene in countries Ee: European Union,
United Nations and the International Criminal Court
Globalization emphasizes the interdependence of States and has encouraged the increasing degree of human
and material mobility and interaction. Eg: International Rights movement. It views solving socio-economic
and political problems require collective efforts and restrictions on State sovereignty.
Why? This is because Westphalia territoriality is over protective, imprisoning, aggressive in assertion, and
condones off areas of opportunity and zones of contract and cooperation
IGO's (Intergovermental Organizations) have played a role in intertwining the political and economic affairs of
nation states around the globe. These types of organizations consistently encroach on the oncept of
sovereignty. Eg: United Nations and World Trade Organization

Globalization
Globalization introduces wider webs of transnational governance, new supranational
institutions and new technologies which increase the flows of capital, commodities
and people across borders.
These are not in line with the conception of the Treaty of Westphalia which aims to
enable governments control resources and people in a way to determine its
economic fortunes.
This phenomenon is a challenge to the Treaty of Westphalia as the border changes

are able to devalue state borders in terms of emphasizing supranational or sub
national entities

Peace of Westphalia Challenges under
Globalization
The control of physical

Legal sovereignty is no longer Non-state actors are emerging
territory is much less
the monopoly of national as the new stars of the global
meaningful today both as
governments order
source and domain of power
International law is beginning Westphalian wars are in

to challenge the supremacy of decline. Non-Westphalian Modernization
state sovereignty conflicts are on the rise

Legal Sovereignty is no longer the
Monopoly of National Governments
❑ Contemporary central governments have responded to globalization by
voluntarily shifting power upwards to supranational institutions.
❑ For example; The emergence of the European Union (EU). This is
because the European law takes precedence over national law.
❑ Other example; Other intergovernmental organizations such as the
WTO (World Trade Organizations) are also picking up powers which
may involve a transfer of sovereignty. The upward power shift from
governments to supranational bodies.

The control of physical territory is
much less meaningful today both as
source and domain of power
❑ Improvement in transportation and telecommunication technologies.
❑ The Internet of global finance does not respect national borders and
sovereign jurisdictions.
❑ This severely reduces the ability of national governments to deal with
ability of national global challenges.

Non-state actors are emerging as the
new stars of the global order
❑ Large multinational corporations wielding considerable economic and political
too). Eg: OECD (The Organizations of Economy of Corporations and Development)
❑ Militant Special Interest Groups which include organized religions, special lobbies,
secret societies, and other groups that have influence. Outlaw elements such as
mafias are included as well who have been much quicker in harnessing the
potential of globalization than legitimate groups.
❑ The NGOs (Non Governmental Organizations claiming to represent Civil Society)
and who have, via street demonstrations and persuasive communication through
the Internet, shown considerable ability to block or delay the signing of
agreements on globalization.
❑ IGOs (Intergovernmental Organizations) created by sovereign governments. Eg:
World Bank, WTO and others.
International law is beginning to challenge
the supremacy of state sovereignty
❑ Concepts such as human rights, environmental protection, ethnic self
determination, sustainable development are beginning to trump state sovereignty
in the court of public opinion and are invoked to justify interventions in the affairs
of sovereign states.
❑ For example, today's attempted genocides are on the news and cannot be ignored
❑ Therefore, interventions overriding national sovereignty are now approved by
world opinion although the exact criteria and legal basis for such interventions
have never been clarified.
❑ The breaching of sovereignty is now more acceptable, yet the rules for doing so are
still very vague.

Westphalian wars are in decline.
Non-Westphalian conflicts are on the rise
❑ A Westphalian War is a clash of sovereign countries according to certain rules such
as formal declarations of wars, treatment of prisoners and others.
❑ The new confrontations are economic and informational.
❑ The game has changed and the protagonists are no longer national governments
but corporations, special interest groups, drug cartels, ethnic mafias and others.

Modernization
This encompasses not only economic
In general under modernization is a modernization and development of
processes where rural, traditional market infrastructure and technology, but
societies are transformed into also political modernization and the
industrialized and modern. developed system of interest
representation
The process of modernization is an

The United States has been doing this for
obvious case of dominant countries acting
a long time all over the world and the
from a place of power that allows for
most current example is the U.S. presence
strategic positioning economically and
in Afghanistan.
politically

Conclusion
❑ Treaty of Westphalia created state system
❑ It ended 30 years war and introduced a few principles in
contemporary world
❑ Principle of non-intervention of one state in the internal
affairs of another state
❑ Principle of equality between states
❑ Principle of sovereignty states and fundamental right of
political self determination
Treaty of Westphalia is undergoing a
historic change
Wave of democratization Process of globalization since 1945
Creation of United Nations and

Humanitarian Intervention
inter-governmental bodies

Change in nature and understanding of
sovereignty
❑ Sovereignty is redefined.
❑ State is interdependent.
❑ Nature of sovereignty has changed from one which vests
states with certain rights, like the right to non-intervention, to
one which grants them certain responsibilities - primarily
towards its own population. E.g. Human rights violations
perpetrated by government

Change in nature and understanding of
sovereignty
❑ However, it argued that Westphalia holds a continuing
relevance despite the evolution of its system.
❑ The outcomes of Peace of Westphalia founded important
norms for the international system and serve as a model for
contemporary international law and relations,
❑ The transformation in the concept of sovereignty has rather
reiterated, reasserted and re-emphasized the obligations and
duties of sovereign states with respect to protection and
upholding of citizens' rights.
Theoretical Perspectives of Interstate System
C
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I S
R M
B T
E A
E R
A R
R U
L X
A C
I I
L T
S S
I I
M M
S V
M I
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Realism
❑ Realists assume that just like human individuals, states are
rational actors and their primary concern is to maximize their
self-interest.
❑ It also assumes that the structure of the international system
is anarchy.

Liberalism
❑ It emphasized the pacifying role of international
organizations, economic interdependence, and democracy.

Constructivism
❑ It is concerned with the relationship between units and
structures. It answers how we can understand the relationship
between states and anarchy.
❑ It argues that both state interests and anarchy are socially
constructed, that is, they are created by the state themselves.

Marxism
❑ It is a social theory that aims to scrutinize and critique the
underlying foundations upon which contemporary world
system is built.
❑ It argues that the world is primarily divided along economic
lines, between the core developed states and the peripheral
developing states.
❑ It predicted that capitalism in advanced, industrial states will
overthrown and replaced by socialism, and eventually
communism.
Summary of the Theories
Competing Theories Realism Liberalism Constructivism Marxism
Central Argument State always Democracy, free Norms and ideas can Capitalist motives
compete for power trade, and re-constitute state cause conflicts
international behavior, interests between core, semi
organizations matter identities, and peripheral, and
to state behavior preferences peripheral states
Assumptions States are rational States are rational Institutions, History is a class
actors, international actors, international including anarchy, struggle
system is anarchic system is anarchic are socially
constructed
Focus of analysis States States Individuals World system
Theorists Kenneth Waltz, John Robert Keohane, Alexander Wendt, Immanuel

Mearsheimer Joseph Nye Jr. Nicholas Onuf Wallersrein
Theotonio dos
Santos
Globalization and the Interstate System

What is the effect of globalization on the
contemporary interstate system?

Two approaches
❑ Outside-in view
❑ Inside-out view

Outside-in view
❑ It regards globalization as an exogenous process that is
making a profound impact on states affairs. States become
powerless to the forces of the market.
❑ Globalization is seen as an extreme form of interdependence
such that the ordering principles of sovereignty, territoriality,
and noninterference are called into question.
❑ The implication is that globalization is undermining the
contemporary interstate system.

Inside-out view
❑ Globalization recognizes that states are the ones influencing
the level of global interconnectedness today.
❑ It emphasizes that globalization is not an independent
phenomenon that takes place in a vacuum.
❑ While it affects the states, states also shape globalization. If
globalization is a transformative process that redefines the
conceptions of state, sovereignty, and territory, and does not
necessarily replace them, then it is better to think of the
contemporary system as global interstate system.
Thanks!
Any questions?


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TCW/CW: The Contemporary World

Global Interstate System

The Contemporary World

The Contemporary World

The Contemporary World

The Contemporary World

The Contemporary World

The Contemporary World

Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno talk in 16th Asian

The Contemporary World

The Contemporary World

The Contemporary World

The Contemporary World

The Contemporary World

The Contemporary World

At the micro level, authority Europe before the Westphalian

The Contemporary World

The Contemporary World

The Contemporary World

The Contemporary World

The Contemporary World

The Contemporary World

The Contemporary World

The Contemporary World

❑ Reduction of role played by religion

The Contemporary World

The Contemporary World

The Contemporary World

The Contemporary World

❑ Article 2(7) of the United Nations Charter.

The Contemporary World

The Contemporary World

The Contemporary World

The Contemporary World

The Contemporary World

This phenomenon is a challenge to the Treaty of Westphalia as the border changes

The Contemporary World

The control of physical

International law is beginning Westphalian wars are in

The Contemporary World

The Contemporary World

The Contemporary World

The Contemporary World

The Contemporary World

The process of modernization is an

The Contemporary World

Wave of democratization Process of globalization since 1945

Creation of United Nations and

The Contemporary World

The Contemporary World

The Contemporary World

The Contemporary World

The Contemporary World

The Contemporary World

Theorists Kenneth Waltz, John Robert Keohane, Alexander Wendt, Immanuel

The Contemporary World

The Contemporary World

The Contemporary World

The Contemporary World

The Contemporary World

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