Introduction to the state and globalisation

what treaty established the beginning of the nation state

treaty of Westphalia 1648

what are the 4 characteristics that define the nation state

defined territory—> clearly recognised borders
permanent population—> citizens who live in the borders
sovereign government—> centralised govt that has authority over its internal affairs
ability to engage with other states—> recognised authority to engage in diplomacy, etc. Basically just being recognised by the international community as a state

what is national sovereignty?

a states absolute authority over its territory and people in it, free from external interference

what are the 2 types of sovereignty

internal→ state’s ability to manage its own affairs, like making laws
external→ state’s recognition from other states and international bodies

challenges to national soverignity

political globalisation, economic globalisation, neocolonialism

how is a political globalisation a challenge to national sovereignty

can limit state ability to exercise full sovereignty
—> regionalism can erode national sovereignty as state cede some control to regional bodies in areas like economic policy
—> membership in IGOs often means states have to adhere to international agreements which can limit their full autonomy in areas like human rights
e.g. UN sanctioned intervention in Libya in 2011 under R2P, authorising military action by international forces to protect civilians during the Libyan Civil War, effectively overriding Libya’s national sovereignty

how does economic globalisation limit nation state sovereignty

limited nation state’s control over their own economies which are now deeply interlinked with other countries
—> e.g. IGOs like IMF and WTO imposed economic conditions on Greece during the economic debt crisis and required austerity measures in exchange for finicial loans. This significantly reduced the greek govt’s control over its own economic policies

how does neocolonialism threaten state sovereignty

it is indirect control that more powerful states exert upon weaker ones via things like economic pressure or political interference
—>e.g. China’s Belt and Road Initiative acts as a form of neocolonialism as countries like Sri Lanka have become heavily indebted to China for infrastructure projects

what is a key case study to think about in relation to national soverenigty?

the March 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine

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