The Global Interstate System

The Structure of Globalization

Global Interstate System
 It is the whole system of human interactions. The modern world-system is structured politically as an interstate
system – a system of competing and allying states. Political Scientists commonly call this the international
system, and it is the main focus of the field of International Relations
Seat of Government
 The Capitol, Washington DC
 Palace of Westminster, London
 Malacanang Palace, Manila
 Secretariat Building, New Delhi
Government
 Has the sovereignty over its own territory
 Decisions, conflict resolution, country-wide planning and development plans are done through the different
government institutions
 Activities of the civil societies like the private enterprises, churches, healthcare providers, professional and
business organizations and non-government organizations are supplementary to the government

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Effects of Globalization to Governments

1) Traditional Challenges
a) External Intervention by other countries.
Some powerful nations intervene with the territorial integrity or political independence of other weaker nations.
Example: Russia’s Annexation of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014. As a result, there is current conflict between
Ukraine, not recognizing Crimea’s sovereignty, and Russia, not recognizing Ukraine’s sovereignty over Crimea.
b) Internal Political Challenges
Challenges that come from the state’s own internal dissenters
Example: Arab Spring in Egypt was a serious of upsprings with led to the overflowing of its leader. This was
subsequently followed by the creation of a new constitution and establishment of a new government in order to restore
stability in the country.
c) Regional organizations challenging state autonomy
The United Nations intervened in Sudan during the civil war. It focused its efforts on humanitarian, developmental
and recovery interventions.
Un also adopted principles to help tackle the sovereign debt crisis of Europe, specifically Greece’s unprecedented
debt crisis.
2) Challenges from national/identity movements
National or identity movements can challenge a nation’s cultural identity and a state’s definite identity due to their
physical boundaries or unique ideologies
Examples:
 The Kurds reside in several different countries including Iran, Iraq, and Turkey.
 Scottish nationalism challenged the traditional notion of state sovereignty of Great Britain.
 AI-Qaeda and ISIS movement were based on the fundamentalist version of Islam.
3) Global Economics
It demands the state to conform to the rules of free-market capitalism
Example:
  Governments have to comply with global or regional agreements (e.g. WTO, NAFTA, and ASEAN)
 Neoliberal economics diminished the roles of government and threatens a state’s own economic interest and
sovereignty.
 Economic crises can force governments to subscribe to the terms of the global financial market and of other
nations in order for them to regain economic stability.
4) Global Social Movements
Spontaneous movements of people or those that emerge through enormous grassroots organizations such as:
 Human right movement
 Environmental movement
 Women’s right movement
 Right to personal autonomy (includes issues on same-sex marriage and gender equality)
 Immigration
International organizations, non-government organizations, and global media have also expanded their roles in
challenging state sovereignty.
Examples: the CNN Effect
Other Effects of Globalization to Governments
 Triggers competition or conflict among countries on matters such as economic policy, political systems, human
rights, environmental concerns
 Governments are now dispersed and are dealing with many stakeholders
o Horizontally (Civil Society and Market)
o Vertically (International Organizations and Sub-National Political Authorities)
 Citizens, civil society organizations and corporations are now seeking opportunities beyond the borders of their
home country. At the same time the local market faces competition with the influx of foreign players.
There are varying benefits and costs of globalization to governments and society, thus it is difficult to generalize
the impact of globalization.
International Relations
 The collective interactions or relationships of the international community.
 Key players include:
o Nations and States
 Nation – It is group of people who see themselves as a cohesive and coherent unit based on shared
cultural or historical criteria and are socially constructed unitsInter-governmental organizations
 State – It is an independent, sovereign government exercising control over a certain spatially defined
and bounded area, whose borders are usually clearly defined and internationally recognized by other
states.
o Inter-governmental Organizations
 It is an organization composed primarily of sovereign states, or of other intergovernmental
organizations. IGOs are established by treaty or other agreement that acts as a charter creating the
group
o Non-governmental Organizations
 It is a group that functions independently of any government with the objective of improving social
conditions. These are typically non-profit institutions and are sometimes called civil society
organizations and are established on community, national, and international levels to serve a social
or political goal such as a humanitarian cause or the protection of the environment
o Multinational Corporations
 It is a company that has business operations in at least one country other than its home country and
generates revenue outside of its home country.
Peace Treaties and Military Alliances
United Nations (UN)
 Wide Network of international organizations, treaties, and conventions
o Was founded in 1945 with now 193 member states
 Main Purpose
o Help maintain world peace and security
o Developing relations among nations
o Help solve economic, social, cultural, or humanitarian international
o Bring countries together to meet the UN’S purposes and goals
UN International Court of Justice
 Also known as the World Court, it is the judicial body of the United Nations
 Settle Internation Disputes
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)
 Signed in 1949, Collective Security of Nations
 Intergovernmental defensive treaty or military alliance
 Collective self-defence – an attack to one member nation means an attack to all member nations

Social and Economic Growth

Red Cross (Red Cresent in Muslim Countries)
 Organized in 1863 to help those who were wounded by wars
 An independent and neutral organization
 Help those affected by war, conflict, and disasters.
Doctors without Borders
 Free emergency healthcare in disaster areas
Oxfam
 Fights famine and disease

Amnesty International
 Advocates for human rights and political prisoners
Sace the Children
 Helps children get health care and education

Global Economy
World Trade Organization (WTO)
 An organization for liberating trade
 Provides a forum for governments to negotiate trade agreements and to settle trade disputes
 It operates a system of trade rules
North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)
 Economic treaty between the US, Canada, and Mexico
 November, 2018 – Became United States Mexico Canada Agreement (USMCA)
 Free Trade between USA, Canada, and Mexico
As individuals we can contribute to international relations in many ways such as:
 Being aware of current events
 Voting during elections
 Supporting humanitarian causes
 Being a responsible citizen
Conversely, international relations help improve our lives by helping address many global issues such as:
 Human rights
 Environmental protection
 Poverty reduction
 Education
 Health Care
 Peace and Security

Internationalism
 “The principle or practice of nations acting and working together” – Cambridge Dictionary
 A belief and/ or a movement which promotes better cooperation among nations in the following aspects:
o Economic
o Political
o Social
 Fred Halliday, an internationalist, defines internationalism as “the idea that we both are and should be part of a
broader community than that of the nation-state [we belong to]”
o Halliday’s three concepts of interactionism:
 Hegemonic internationalism
o A concept that the world is being integrated based on unequal terms – with one nation
dominating over other nations.
o Example: British Empire from 16th to 18th century
 Revolutionary internationalism
o A concept which contends that conflicts arise within societies due to international factors
and alliances
o Examples: French Revolution, Feminism, Environmentalism
 Liberal internationalism
o A concept that promotes the achievement of common goals such as world peace, poverty
eradication, and sustainable development through greater cooperation among nations
 o Example: UN Sustainable Development Goals Health Care, Life-saving causes of Red
Cross

Globalism
 “The idea that events in one nation cannot be separated from those in another and that economic and foreign
policy should be planned in an international way” – Cambridge Dictionary
 “It seeks to describe and explain nothing more than a world which is characterized by networks of connections
that span multi-continental distances” – (Nye,2002)
 According to American Political Scientist Joseph Nye, there are four distinct dimensions of globalism:
o Economic Globalism
 Flows of goods, services and capital
 Examples: Export and import of goods, ecommerce
o Military Globalism
 Deployment of potential conflict or threats of force or war
 Example: “Balance of terror” between the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold
War
o Environmental Globalism
 Activities such as manufacturing, travel, transport of goods, utilization of natural resources that
pollute the land, sea and air
 Example: Global Warming
o Social and Culture
 Movements of ideas, information, and people
 Example: Fusion in cruise, fashion, and arts