1.In a globalizing world, does the sovereign state model still have a role to play? If so, what is it? If not, why not?
Globalization can be defined as the ongoing movement towards political, economic and social interdependence which for that good or ill has reduced the autonomy of the sovereign state. globalization is a complex phenomenon, which encompasses a great variety of tendencies and trends in the economic, social and cultural spheres (Bertucci et al 1). This new era of globalization has been pushed forward, due to increased advances in technologies such as mobile phones, transportations and the internet. These advances allow us to close geographical distances and increase the flow of knowledge and information across borders (Chaturvedi 1). Globalization has introduced an intensified flow of goods, information, services and individuals across nations thus prompting a new era of social and economic integration that has been never been witnessed before. This complex multidimensional concept poses many opportunities and costs to the sovereignty of nations. Our globalized world makes states more dependent one another and solidifies relationship amongst nations thus undermining the sovereignty of the nations. states are now adopting similar jurisdictions and political and economic frameworks across the broader, allowing little room for diversity and multiculturalism ( ) .
The rise of globalization has affected Sovereignty of states in three critical ways. firstly, the rise of international trade and capital markets has interfered with the ability of nation-states to control their domestic economies (Ku et al 210). Secondly, nation-states have responded by delegating authority to international organizations (Ku et al 210). Thirdly, the rise of terrorist groups as a result of globalization poses a risk to national security. these new developments put state sovereignty in jeopardy and minimize the power of the state.
A Sovereign state refers to a condition where the state is considered the highest form of authority. Sovereign states act as monopoly power over the people and institutions within the nation. The state has an internal role to govern and defend it citizens and external role when it comes to world politics (Jackson 782). As the world becomes more globalized, the effects on state sovereignty are becoming more apparent. The increase of communication amongst nations makes it harder for the state to control civil society in terms education and even the language shared (Baylis & Smith, 1999: 21, BUCHANAN). The state is not the only source of knowledge that its citizens gain, but instead a major source of knowledge comes from the global mass media. this array of information sprung forth by the global mass media has brought about social revolutions such as the Arab spring.
Globalization is often criticized by “those who perceive it as a threat to social cohesion and as the advancement of unfettered capitalism, which undermines the Welfare State “(Bertucci et al 1). Globalization has caused the overwhelming spread of the capitalistic model, which in turn undermines the power of the state. The monetary and fiscal policies o af nation are overpowered by the constraints subjected to them by international financial markets such as the IMF and the World bank. additionally, the investment potential, employment and revenue of a nation are controlled by the location of multinational corporations (Chaturvedi 7). This is evident with the rise of large multinational companies that now exercise an immense amount of control over the economic power and potential of a state. Consequently, the State is forced to lower tax rates in order to better accommodate and benefit from the economic potential that these companies produce. Globalization has allowed huge multinational corporations such as Amazon, Apple, Samsung etc. to exercise an immense control over the economic sovereignty of the state. However, this does not give leeway for the population to rely of multinational companies to provide the same benefits that the state provides thus maintaining some power within the state. moreover, as we move towards a new age, “the introduction of the world bank and IMF have made it harder for nation-states to control their own domestic economy. Internationalization of production has eroded the state’s capacity to control its own economic future” Chaturvedi 7.) Although the sovereign state enacts its own individual economic policies to better suit the economic climate within the nation, its ability to freely pass certain polices are limited and often need to abide to restrictions placed on it by international forces. The IMF insists that nations adopt certain policies in order to receive loans. These policies include cutting government expenditure, the privatization of the public sector, and currency devaluation. As the markets become more international, global competiveness increases and greater dependence on nations states ensues. The rise of capitalism in our global market is a threat to the state of sovereignty within modern nations. (Chaturvedi 7)
Moreover, as international organizations become increasing powerful the concept of nation sovereignty becomes outmoded. These organizations monitor and often delegitimize the power of the state. “Many of these non-state actors (IGO’s, TNC, IGNO’s) have penetrated deeply into national legal systems and contributed “progressively” to the trans nationalization of international law” (Ip 637). We can see this form of national and international integration in states such as the UK, France and Germany that are undermined by a higher authority, the European union. The European union can be looked at as a product of globalization. This new form of integration affects the decision-making process within states by creating a complex structure which involves the creation of subnational, national and global levels forming an intrinsic multifaceted governmental model( ). international interferences in decision making to some level and increase in civilian participation shifting power to a local level, thereby reducing state control in the decision making process ( ). This reduces the decision-making power of the state, thereby minimizing its role. This development could cause the state ultimately to become obsolete.
Additionally, Globalization has given leeway to the rise of terrorist groups in our society. This is due to the widespread poverty and inequality globalization tends to enact in many developing nations. Globalization comes with liberalization which means worker conditions are not monitored by the state, firms can pay other firms in different countries below their minimum wage leaving them in a state of poverty whilst the gaining more revenue by cutting their costs. Often times the state of poverty within the population is used as a justification for violence in order to spur social reform (Gotchev 106). These terrorists aim to represent the marginalized and impoverished sector of the population. It is also important to note that terrorism can take the form of cyber terrorism. The rise of cyber terrorism puts the networking and communication systems within the nations at risk. This means the state would play a minimal role in terms of the information and knowledge spread amongst its civilians’ due to the increased interference in telecommunication devices. Moreover, Terrorist groups are increasingly reliant on international financial cooperation which finance their endeavors and back their causes. They adopt strategies that model those of transnational companies which provide examples as to how to plan, organize, engage with general population and extend to a more global sphere (Gotchev 110). These terrorist attacks on state threaten the stability of the state and make it susceptible to other external forces, such war, famine and ultimately political instability leaving its sovereignty vulnerable.