LESSON

III
Global Interstate
System
 |THE INTERSTATE SYSTEM|
State has long been recognized as fundamental actor in global politics.
Within its borders, there is no doubt that each State is expected to
maintain its unchallengeable power because of its possessed
'sovereignty.' Eventually, states begun to interact with other states and
institutions beyond its territorial boundaries as motivated by certain
factors and events that demands cooperation and interdependence. The
attempt to explain this decisions, interactions and behavior that occur
across boundaries of states are what scholars refer as international
relations, international studies or international politics. While the relations
of states (which traditionally understood in military, diplomatic and
strategic terms) have been the center of this discipline, its nature and
focus has been significantly changing over time particularly under the
realm of globalization.
 |THE INTERSTATE SYSTEM|
Globalization is defined as a 'widening, intensifying, speeding up
and growing impact of world- wide interconnected' (Held and
McGrew, 1999). Thus, it expectedly results to intensification of
relationships among nation-states which may either increase,
decrease or transform states than its usual position. However, not
all processes of globalization occurs on the level of states as this
extends to the politics and political patterns of international
institutions and organizations which are equally important to what
states and other political actors do. This chapter explains how
globalization affectes the states and its interactions in the global
politics. In the same way, an understanding of the interstate system
would lead the students to know how the world is organized the
way it is-of what is termed as contemporary world politics.
 STATE AND
SOVEREIGNTY
• The state emerged in 15th and 16th century Europe centralized rule that succeer and
16th century Europe as a system of groups, temporal and spiritual lewood. 2011). The
concept of statehood succeeded in subordinating all other institutions and the 30-year
war (1618-1648), where Burtope's rulers would recognize each others of Westphalia
(1648), a package of treaties that ended territories and free from outside interference.
In turn, the guarantees stability and unification for the nations of Europe which was
expressed by Giuseppe Mazzini (1805-72) sed by Giuseppe Mazzini (1805-72), an
Italian nationalist. The characteristic theme of this classical nationalism reflected in
Europe is with the idea of the nation based on the belief in popular sovereignty. mostly
signified in US president Woodrow Wilson's Fourteen Points in 1910, a blueprint which
proposed for the reconstruction of Europe after WWII
 STATE AND
SOVEREIGNTY
Nations in Europe, according to Wilson, should achieve statehood that is anchored from
principle of national-determination. Its goal eventually led to the construction of a nation-
state (Heywood, 2011 ). During the French revolution, the Westhalian system, was
challenged by Napoleon Bonaparte, a French leader who implemented the Napoleonic
Code, with his principles of liberty, equality and fraternity against the power of kings,
nobility and religion in Europe. But after his defeat in the Battle of Waterloo in 1815, the
royal powers founded an alliance of great powers or the Concert of Europe-Austria,
Russia, Prussia and United Kingdom, and created a new system, which in effect revived
the Westphalian system and restored the sovereignty of states. Therefore, these
historical events established that the doctrine of sovereign statehood was significant not
only as the legal basis of modern statehood but also the constitution of modern world
order.
STATE AND
SOVEREIGNTY
• In fact, it was stated in 1933 Montevideo Convention on the Rights and Duties
of States as one of the four qualifying elements: (a.) a defined territory, (b.) a
permanent population, (c.) an effective government and the (d.) capacity to
enter into relations with other states (Heywood, 2011). While internal
sovereignty refers to the state's authority within, external sovereignty defines
the relationship of states to other states and international actors as it
establishes state's capacity to act as an independent and autonomous entity
in world affairs (Heywood, 2011). It is the same principle of how international
law was created. Thus, United Nation, as the principal framework and venue
for convening member state's leaders, guarantee equal participation in
international relations that is according to the principle of sovereign equality.
STATE GLOBALIZATION

• In the advent globalization, debates about the power and significan state in world system have been found. Two
contrasting positions argue the impact of the widening and speeding interconnectedness brought abou the process
of globalization. Some believed that it bring about the dem the sovereign states as global forces weaken the power
of the state to co their own economies and societies (Ohmae, 1995 Scholte, 2000; Baylis el 2011). Oppositely, some
assumed that state remains as primary agent which even shape the world order (Krasner, 1999; Baylis et al., 2011).
STATE GLOBALIZATION

• Between the two views, lies another perspective which recognizes that globalization would transform the role,
significance and nature of the sovereignty of the state. Globalization as a process is more than simply growing
connections interconnectedness between states. Rosenau (1997) suggests that globalization implies a cumulative
scale, scope, velocity and depth of contemporary interconnectedness is dissolving the significance of the borders
and boundaries that separate the world into its many constituent states or national economic and political spaces
(Baylis et al., 2011).
STATE GLOBALIZATION

• Instead of looking at the interdependence or internationalization between

nation-states, the concept of globalization presents a dramatic shift
leading to the organization of human affairs-from the world of discreet but
interdependent nation-states to the world as a shared social space. In
sense, concerns about economics and security transcend the world's
major regions and continents.
STATE GLOBALIZATION
• Similarly, globalization represents the process of deterritorialization-
when social, political and economic activities are increasingly
'stretched across the globe and making geography and distance
posing relative significance. For instance, terrorist and criminal
networks operate both locally and globally. Same is true for national
economic space which is no longer equivalent with national territorial
space, under the condition of globalization since UK's largest
companies have overseas headquarters. In this sense, globalization
can be defined as (Baylis et. al. 2011):
STATE GLOBALIZATION

• "a historical process involving a fundamental shift or

transformation in the spatial scale of human social
organization that links distant communities and
expands the reach of power across regions and
continents."
STATE GLOBALIZATION

• As the definition enables us to differentiate globalizat delimited processes such

as internationalization and regionalization, the us to differentiate globalization
from spatially state may no longer have the monopol of power resource. This is
because of relative denationalization of new brot globalization where power is
organized and exercised on a transregional, transnational, or transco basis
while many actors, from international organization to criminal net exercise
power from within, across. and against states in an increasing interconnected
global system (Baylis et. al. 2011),
SHIFTING FROM INTERNATIONAL
POLITICS TO GLOBAL POLITICS
The politics in the world stage has been conventionally understood in
international terms. But the term international relations has no used
despite of the conflict and co-operation between and among territorially
ECM al units had been existed. Not until Jeremy Bentham, a British
philosopher and legal reformer, coined the term 'international relations
that was introduced in his Principles of Morals and Legislation (1789). In
the late 18th century, the said term eventually was recognized as 'inter-
national as the territorially-based political units have gained clearer and
genuine 'national character.
SHIFTING FROM INTERNATIONAL
POLITICS TO GLOBAL POLITICS
Based on this shifting concept from nationbood to statehood why most
modern states could effectively act and interact with one another on the
global (world) system or also described as 'inter-state system. The origins
of this view are drawn from the aforementioned Peace of Westphalia
which center on the principle of sovereignty. Thus, state sovereignty
became the fundamental organizing principle of international politics.
However, internationalization should be differentiated from globalization.
The former refers to growing interdependence between states; its very
idea presumes that state remain discrete national units with clearly
demarcated borders while the latter refers to a process in which the very
distinction between the domestic and the external breaks down.
SHIFTING FROM INTERNATIONAL
POLITICS TO GLOBAL POLITICS

The distance and time are irrelevant in the sense that local events and
impacts may be diffused rapidly around the globe (Baylis et al., 2011).
The growing number of complex political issues has eventually acquired
a global character which in that effect, extend actually or potentially to all
parts of the world. For instance, the issue of terrorism and climate change
are two of the most important events that had been affecting all states
because of increasing impact and expansion of various terrorist groups
and that the nature operates as an interconnected whole.
SHIFTING FROM INTERNATIONAL
POLITICS TO GLOBAL POLITICS
• New actors on the world stage. Because of globalization, it is
impos to regard state as the only significant actors in world
stage. New key ple have come to exert influence and
identified as transnational corporation (TNC non-government
organizations (NGOs) and a range of non-state institutio
Similarly, groups and organizations like terrorist group of Al
Qaeda, a capitalist movement and Amnesty International to
Google and HP also contri in shaping the world politics.
SHIFTING FROM INTERNATIONAL
POLITICS TO GLOBAL POLITICS
• Increased interdependence and interconnected. As globalization results to a
substantial growth in cross-border or transnational, flows and transaction -
movements of people, good, money, information and ideas the phenomenon
also increased the relations among states with growing interdependence and
interconnectedness. Problems and issues that are global in nature like global
warming, terrorism, and pandemic diseases are impossible to resolve hy any
states alone, except for powerful states. Thus, states generally resort on
collective effort as they work together to address the global issues. However,
this may be asymmetrical rather than symmetrical where interdependence can
lead to domination and conflict rather than peace and harmony (Heywood,
2011)
SHIFTING FROM INTERNATIONAL
POLITICS TO GLOBAL POLITICS
• The trend towards global governance. Since 1945, a new
framework of global governance (and regional governance) has
been recognized. This is attributed to established international
organizations such as IMF, the World Trade Organization
(WTO), the European Union and most significantly, the United
Nations. As member of UN, for instance, states observe
accountability to international norm and principles set for. Most
importantly, the increasing number of member states reflects a
growth of states who profess commitments to human rights and
the rule of law.
SHIFTING FROM INTERNATIONAL
POLITICS TO GLOBAL POLITICS
• Conclusion The idea about international system was explained in
this lesson. Starting with the recognition of state and the principle
of sovereignty; identifying a range of new actors; significant
factors and events that resulted to interstate relations; and the
relative impact of globalization paved the way for a creation of
global governance or what others identified as the 'new
international order as reflected by the operating international
organization particularly, the United Nation.
LESSON

VI
CONTEMPORARY GLOBAL
GOVERNANCE
• When people travel in multiple states; goods and services delivered to ad from different countries by air, land, se
and cyberspace: Filipinos working as OFW (overseas Filipino workers); and a different range of cross-border
transactions, are quite puzzling for some since there is no government or 'world government that regulatos. Even
though, these activities still expect to be reliable, safer and secure for the people, groups, firms and governments
involved. While these are evidently effective within domestic sphere because of the government which controls,
how could exchanges among states beyond their borders become possibly in order, inevitable and stable? For
instance, as the world trade continuously expands and global mobility increases, the borders of states expectedly
are to be flooded of goods, services, persons, and information.
• This became possible when the Universal Postal Union, the first modern international organization, was
established in 1863 Similarly, the growing number of worldwide problems like terrorist mate change, threat of
maritime conflict, nuclear proliferation and amons stbers which are beyond the capacity of individual states to
solve on their own has heen receiving attention with the aim of securing international order recognition of
sovereignty of every states. Analysis of these global activities an international problems are taken up in a complex
phenomenon called governance