LESSON 5 hierarchy in which some national societies have far

Interstate System more power and wealth than others.

State has been the traditional subject of global Further, the world-systems perspective emerged
politics. It is viewed as the institution that creates during the world revolution of 1968 and the anti-
warfare and sets economic policies for a country. war movement that produced a generation of
Moreover, it is a political unit that has authority scholars who saw the peoples of Global South (then
over its own affairs, and most of the time we refer called the “Third World”) as more than an
to them as „countries‟ in layman‟s term. When we underdeveloped backwater. It became widely
talk about state, it must always consist of the four understood that a global power structure existed and
elements such as fixed territory, people, that the peoples of the non-core had been active
government and sovereignty. participants in their own liberation. The history of
It was during the Treaty of Westphalia on 1648 colonialism and decolonization were seen to have
where the notion of nation-state and idea of state importantly shaped the structures and institutions of
sovereignty has started. Today, the globalization of the whole global system.
politics created an atmosphere where the ideas of As to the concept of system, we like to refer to the
the nation-state, state sovereignty, government definition in The Oxford English Dictionary. It
control, and state policies are challenged from all defines „system‟ to be (1) a set of assemblage of
sides. things connected, associated, or interdependent, so
The following are suggested “replacements” for as to form a complex unity, or (2) a whole
nation-states: composed of parts in orderly arrangement
1.regional alliances and worldwide organizations according to some scheme or plan. In studies of
2.regional and international economic bonds international politics, the conception of „system‟
3.private capital groups has been used mainly in two ways: international
4.non-state organizations system, and world system(s). The term
„international system‟ is a concept for analysis or
Interstate System description of international politics.
The origins of the present-day concept of
Sovereignty can be traced back to the Treaty of Used as an analytical term, it is predicated upon a
Westphalia, which was a set of agreements signed definite notion of system. But it is not necessarily
in 1648 to end the thirty years‟ war between the so when it is used to describe situations of
major continental powers of Europe. The international relations at a given time. The term
Westphalian system provided stability for the „international system‟ came to be accepted as an
nations of Europe, until it faced its major challenge academic term in the late 1950s, soon becoming
by Napoleon Bonaparte. The latter believed in fashionable, but more or less obsolete in the late
spreading the principles of the French Revolution - 1990s.
liberty, equality and fraternity to the rest of Europe.
Despite the challenge of Napoleon to the When we extrapolate this contrast to international
Westphalian system and the eventual collapse of the relations, we come across the argument developed
Concert of Europe after World War I, present-day by H.Bull in elaborating on the distinction between
international system has traces of this history. international system and society. As to the former,
he defines: A system of states (or international
The rise of globalization studies has shifted the system) is formed when two or more states have
focus to an emerging world society in which nation- sufficient contact between them, and have sufficient
states are understood as interacting organizations impact on one another‟s decisions, to cause them to
that claim sovereignty over a delimited territory and behave - at least in some measure - as parts of a
national societies are seen to be highly whole (Bull 1977:9-10). This corresponds very well
interdependent on the larger global system. The to the first definition of system noted above.
interstate system or world-systems perspective on Turning to international society, he defines: A
modernity claims that this high degree of society of states (international society) exists when
interdependence is not a recent phenomenon and a group of states, conscious of certain common
that an important dimension of the global system interests and common values, form a society in the
has been, and continues to be, its stratification sense that they conceive themselves to be bound by
structure that is organized as a core/periphery a common set of rules in their relations with one
another, and share in the working of common
institutions (Bull 1977:13). If we borrow Bull‟s pressure the Philippine government to realign
concepts, international relations have been rapidly its stance and actions in upholding human
changing from international system to international rights.
society in the post-Cold War era. In the Asian
context, an autonomous system of states was  Institutions that Govern International Relations
formed in the 1990s for the first time in history Several countries and individuals collaborate in
(ASEAN formed on 1995), and it has already international organizations. Intergovernmental
acquired some elements of international society. organizations (IGOs) were set up to make it easier
Goldstein‟s (1988) research suggests that economic for countries to work together. Their goal is to build
expansion tends to increase the severity of great- strong relationships between governments in the
power wars. areas of economics, politics, culture, education, and
technology. There are also groups that don't work
Effects of Globalization to Governments for the government that works for social and
One of the key aspects of state sovereignty is the economic growth. Let's take a look at each of them.
government. It is a group of people who have the
ultimate authority to act on behalf of a state. Each  Peace Treaties and Military Alliances: The UN
state has its own right to self-determination and that and NATO
other country should not intervene in the affairs of Global politics entails relationship of countries and
that state unless there are extraordinary reasons to different governments and non-governmental
do so. Globalization has, in a way reshaped the role organizations, The United Nations (UN) is one of
and functions of nation-states as governing bodies the leading political organizations in the world
in their particular territories. where nation-states meet and deliberate. However,
 First, globalization is seen to impose a forced it remains as an independent actor in global politics.
choice upon nation-states. Either they conform Generally, it functions in four areas: military issues,
to the neo-liberal ideas and free-market economic issues, environmental issues, and human
principles of deregulation, privatization, and protection. It is made up of close to 200countries
free trade or run the risk of being left behind in from around the world, 193 member states to be
terms of development. Of course, nation-states, exact. (United Nations, 2011)
in this contemporary age, are forced to submit
themselves to the demands of globally accepted  Global Economic Associations: The WTO and
free-market principles. NAFTA
 Second is the establishment of economic and The next group is an economic association-WTO
political integrations. One good example is the which was created with the goal of increasing free
European Union (EU) and the North America trade. Countries, therefore, can buy and sell goods
Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).EU has a from one another without placing takes on imports
single currency and monetary system, or tariffs. In addition, tariffs are used to protect
parliament with legislative powers, with businesses and companies inside their country.
common citizens‟ rights to live, work, vote and Another famous economic organization is NAFTA.
run for office. The statehood of the members is This is an economic treaty between the United
not dissolved, what has changed is only how States, Canada, and Mexico in which the three
the nation-states function, in terms of economy countries trade freely without taxing each other.
and politics, as part of a whole. NAFTA is not without critics either. Some
 The third effect of globalization is the American autoworkers protested against NAFTA as
establishment of international laws and several car companies moved their factories to
principles. This is observable in the Mexico in search for cheaper labor. NAFTA, like
establishment of the UN that operates as a WTO, represents the challenge in America of
forum for nation-states to air their differences keeping manufacturing factories.
and try to resolve them.
 The fourth effect is the rise of transnational  Association of Southeast Asian Nations
activism (TNA). Such happens when activist (ASEAN)
groups of nation-states connect with their Established in 1967, now has 10 member states. Its
counterparts in other states. For example, an aims are to accelerate economic growth, social
advocacy-based organization in the Philippines progress and cultural development in the region;
may connect itself with and get support from promote regional progression; advance peace and
other human rights groups in Europe to sustainability; promote active and beneficial
cooperation and mutual assistance on matters of
common interest in the economic, technical,
cultural, administrative and scientific fields.

 European Union (EU)

An IGO with 28- state members was established in
1993. Its goals are to promote peace, its values, and
well-being of its citizens; offer freedom, security
and justice without internal borders; uphold
sustainable development; combat social exclusion
and discrimination; promote scientific and
technological progress; enhance economic; social
and territorial cohesion among member countries;
respect cultural and linguistic diversity; and
establish an economic and monetary union.

 Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs)

Another example of an international organization
that was developed out of war is the Red Cross
(Red Crescent in Muslim countries). NGOs are not
tied to any country. This allows them to operate
freely throughout the world. They provide
emergency relief such as food, water, and medical
supplies for those whose homes or towns have been
destroyed by disaster or war. They also monitor the
treatment of prisoner of wars and go to conflicts to
make sure that no war crimes are taking place. In
fact, the Red Cross began as an organization to help
those who were wounded during wars.