state & globalisation

evtvt econ globalisation has had greater impact on global politics than political or cultural globalisation

1: econ vs political

-econ interdependence strongly contains policy making & reshapes global power relations

-states must respond to global markets, multinational corps & financial pressures. econ crises & trade systems force coord + limit autonomy

-e.g. greek debt crisis 2010: EU, ECB + IMF bailout conditions forced Greece to adopt austerity policies, showing econ forced directly shaping govt policy. US-china trade war 2024-26: tariffs & supply chain restrictions demonstrate how econ competition drives global political relations

-however IGOs & legal frameworks more directly erode sov than econ forces

-IGOs create binding rules that states must follow to participate in global governance. legal & institutional constraints shape domest policy more explicitly than markets

-e.g. EU law supremacy pre brexit, eu regulations applied directly to member states. ICC arrest warrants (like Putin 2023) show int legal institutions can directly challenge state leaders

2: econ vs cultural

-econ integration drives global ineq, policy decisions & state behaviour more than cultural change

-trade, investments & financial flows determine govt priorities. states often prioritise econ competitiveness over cultural concerns

-e.g. chinas WTO driven export growth since 2001: integration into global trade transformed china into central global econ power. supply chain disruptions during covid showed how global econ dependence shaped nat industrial & health policies worldwide

-however cultural globalisation reshapes identities & public opinion, indirectly influencing political outcomes

-global media & comm networks shape political attitudes. cultural shifts can drive political mobilisation & policy change

-e.g. Arab spring 2010-12: soc media platforms enabled political mobilisation across borders (same w Gaza). global rise of SM platforms like tiktok influences youth political awareness & global cultural norms

*evtvt national sovereignty is being eroded by the process of globalisation

1: political

-membership of supranational orgs limits states freedom to make decisions independently

-states accept rules & legal obligations that constrain domestic policy & sov becomes shared w international institutions

-e.g. brexit 2016-20 uk voted to leave EU partly bc EU law had supremacy over uk law in many policy areas. ECHR ruled against uk govts Rwanda deportation policy 2022 showing how legal bodies can constrain national govts

-however states ultimately choose whether to participate in IGOs

-orgs gain authority from member states & govts can withdraw or ignore commitments

-e.g. uk withdrawal from EU showed states can reclaim powers delegated to supranational institutions. US withdrawal from Paris agreement 2017 under trump showed state can reject obligations when leaders choose

2: economic

-global markets & international financial institutions restrict govts econ policy choices

-states often prioritise market confidence over domestic preferences & econ interdependence limits autonomous decision making

-e.g. greek debt crisis 2010-15, Greece had to accept austerity measures imposed by EU, ECB & IMF in return for bailout loans. Sri Lankan IMF bailout 2023 govt implemented IMF backed econ reforms after econ crisis, limiting domestic econ freedom

-however states retain control over taxation, spending & industrial policy

-govts increasingly intervene in econs despite globalisation, econ nationalism has become more prominent

-e.g. trumps tariff programme 25-26 = expansion of tariffs on imports demonstrates state control over trade policy

3: cultural

-global media & communications weakens state control over culture & identity

-ideas & cultural products move across borders rapids & states struggle to regulate info flows

-e.g. global expansion of Netflix 2016-now, american produced entertainment reaches worldwide audiences spreading cultural values beyond borders. tiktoks rise since 2020, global trends influence youth culture across states regardless of govts

-however states can still protect & promote national culture

-govts regulate media & shape cultural policy, national identities remain resilient despite global diffs

-e.g. chinas great firewall = Chinese govt tightly controls access to foreign media & online content. Frances audiovisual quotas = streaming services must invest in & promote French language content, protecting national culture

evtvt the nation state remains the most important actor in global politics

1: political power

-states retain legal sov & ultimate authority over territory & pops

-states make & enforce laws control borders, maintain armed forces. even when states join IGOs they voluntarily pool sov rather than lose it fully

-e.g. russia’s ukraine invasion 2022-now shows continued importance of state military power shaping global politics. brexit 2020, uk reasserted full legal sov by leaving EU & regaining control over laws + borders

-however IGOs increasingly constrain + influence state behaviour

-IGOs shape rules states must follow to participate in global systems. some decisions effectively made at supranational level

-e.g. EU law supremacy pre brexit, eu institutions had authority over domestic legislation in many policy areas. UN sanctions on NK since 2006 show how collective int effort can restrict state behaviour

2: econ power

-states control key econ levers like tax, regulation & industrial policy

-govts can intervene heavily in markets & shape econ outcomes. states remain essential for stabilising econs during crises

-e.g. US CHIPS & science act 2022 = massive state int to strengthen domestic semiconductor production

-however multinational corps & global markets significantly limit state autonomy

-capital mobility & supply chains reduce govts control econ outcomes. firms can influence policy by threatening investment withdrawal

-e.g. Tesla investment negotiations w multiple govts 2020-24, states compete to attract investment, showing corporate influence over policy decisions

3: global issues

-states essential for addressing global challenges & enforcing agreements

-international coop depends on state participation & enforcement. only states have coercive power (police, military, law enforcement)

-e.g. Paris climate agreement 2015: climate action depends on nationally determined contributions by states. covid border closures 2020, states independently controlled movement & public health responses

-however global problems & non state actors inc shape outcomes independently of states

-NGOs, corps & int networks influence policy & outcomes. some issues transcend state control entirely

-greta Thunberg & the Fridays for future movement 2018-now influenced global climate policy discourse beyond state control. WHO coord during covid played key role in global health guidance not just states

evtvt globalisation has created a more interconnected & interdependent world

1: econ interdependence

-states deeply dependent on global supply chains & international markets

-production split across multiple countries meaning disruption affects whole system, financial markets are globally linked spreading shock rapidly

-e.g. Red Sea shipping crisis 2023-24: attacks on shipping routes forced vessels reroute around Africa, inc delivery times & global freight costs showing one regional conflict disrupted global trade networks. 2008 global financial crisis = most severe worldwide econ downturn since Great Depression, triggered by collapse of US housing markets

-however states are reducing reliance on global networks due to security & econ risks

-”near shoring”, supply chains being shortened to reduce vulnerability, geopolitical rivalry is fragmenting global trade

-e.g. US-china tensions 2018-now: tariffs & tech restrictions have encouraged supply chain diversification away from china. eu critical raw materials act 2024 designed to reduce dependence on china for strategic materials

2: tech & soc interconnection

-digital tech has created instant global comm & shared info networks

-SM & internet connect individs & political movements globally. ideas, news, culture spread instantly. scientific & tech collab increasingly global

-covid vaccine development 2020-21 internet coop between Pfizer (us) & BioNTech (Germany) showed rapid scientific interdependence

-however states asserting control over digital space reducing true openness

-govts restrict data flows, platforms & online content. internet becoming splintered into regional systems

-e.g. chinas great firewall limits global digital integration. us-china tech restrictions 2022-25: export controls on advanced chips & AI tech reduce tech interdependence in key sectors

3: global risks & shared challenges

-modern threats cross borders & require coordinated responses

-climate change, pandemics, security threats cant be resolved by one state. states rely on IGOs & coop frameworks as problems in one region can rapidly affect global stability

-covid pandemic: single virus spread globally within months requiring coord vaccine development & global health coop. Russia Ukraine war 2022-24 caused European energy shortages & global food price inc showing how regional conflict produces worldwide consequences

-however although problems are global, coop is inc limited by rivarly

-states prioritise nat interest over global solutions & int institutions struggle to enforce coop

-e.g. climate negotiations (cop28 2023) were made but lacked binding enforcement showing limits of global coop. vaccine inequality during covid: wealthier states secured vaccines 1st showing fragmented not equal interdependence

evtvt the advs of globalisation outweigh its disadvs

1: econ impact

-globalisation has inc econ growth & reduced extreme pov

-trade liberalisation & global supply chains have inc productivity & wealth. developing states have benefited from integration into global econ

-e.g. chinas econ rise since 2001 following accession to WTO, millions lifted out of pov through export led growth. Indias growth in global services sector since 2000s, integration into global markets has helped make India one of worlds fastest growing maj econs

-however globalisation has inc inequality & econ insecurity

-benefits unevenly distributed within & between states. workers in some sectors face job losses due to competition & outsourcing

-e.g. 2008 global financial crisis: econ shocks spread rapidly across interconnected econs causing recessions worldwide. US rust belt 6mill job losses 2000s-10s: manufacturing empl declined as production moved to lower cost countries

2: political impact

-globalisation encourages international coop to tackle global problems

-states work together through IGOs & treaties on issues that transcend borders. coop improves responses to shared challenges

-e.g. Paris climate agreement 2015, nearly every state committed to coordinated action on climate change. covid vaccine coop through COVAX 2020-23, international coord helped distribute vaccines globally

-however globalisation can undermine democracy & national sov

-decision making shift away from elected nat govts & powerful states+institutions often dom global gov

-e.g. greek debt crisis 2010-15: IMF, ECB & EU bailout conditions limited Greeces econ policy choices. brexit ref 2016, many leave voters argued eu membership reduced UK sov

3: soc, cultural & environ

-globalisation spreads knowledge, tech & cultural exchange

-faster comm improves access to info + innovation. cultural interaction can inc understanding between socs

-e.g. Erasmus+ programme 2021-27 (budget 26.2billeur) enables mills of students across europe to study abroad, promoting cultural exchange & international understanding. covid vaccine coop shows rapid transfer of scientific knowledge through global networks

-however globalisation contributes to environ damage & cultural homogenisation

-inc production & transport raise environ damage. global media can weaken local cultures & identities

-e.g. global co2 emissions reached record highs on 2023 despite climate commitments. amazon rainforest deforestation inc significantly 2019-22, partly due to demand from global markets