Lesson 4. Global Interstate System

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LESSON 4: Global Interstate System
Lesson 4:
Global Interstate System
Lesson Overview
Our last lesson presented the global corporations and governments
as main actors in the global economy and as agents of economic
globalization. Thus, it is assumed that you are now informed about the
economic structure of globalization.
In this lesson, you will learn more about the second aspect of
globalization: globalization as a political process. This aspect looks into the
nation-state and its interactions with other political actors in the
international community such as other nation-states, international
organizations and non-governmental organizations.
Specifically, this module has the following topics: (a) Effects of
Globalization on Governments; (b) Institutions that govern international
relations; and (c) Internationalism and Globalism.
Intended Learning Outcomes

At the end of the lesson, you should be able to:
Discuss the concept, actors involved, and processes in the global
interstate system.
Justify the relevance of the state amid globalization.
ONLINE/OFFLINE RECITATION:
1. What is global interstate system?

2. What is the difference between internationalism and
globalism?
Attributes of the
Contemporary Global
Interstate System
According to Lisandro and
Abinales (2018), today’s global
interstate system is characterized by
the existence of countries or states
that are independent and
sovereign, countries that interact
with each other diplomatically, international organizations like the United Nations
that help facilitate the interaction between states and beyond simply facilitating
meetings between states, international organization also take on lives of their own.
Before discussing the development
of the contemporary global interstate
system, it is necessary to understand first
the concept of a nation-state. A nation-
state is a country which is both a nation
and a state.
According to Max Weber (1997, p.
154) as cited by Schattle (2014) a state is
“a compulsory political organization with
continuous operations through
upholding a claim to the monopoly of the
legitimate use of physical force in the enforcement of its order”. Meanwhile, Hedley
Bull (1995, p. 8) defines a state as an “independent political communities each of
which possesses a government and asserts sovereignty in relation to a particular

portion of the earth’s surface and a particular segment of the human population”.
From this you can derive the four elements of the state namely: (1) territory, (2)
population or people; (3) government and (4) sovereignty. Without any of the
aforesaid elements, an entity shall not be considered as a state.
While a state is a
political or a legal
concept, a nation is an
ethnic concept. The
concept of ‘nation’
historically emphasized
organic ties that hold
groups of people
together and inspire
senses of loyalty and
belonging. Members of a
nation have a strong sense of belongingness and cohesion thus, Benedict Anderson
(1991) refers to the nation “an imagined community”. Furthermore, it is a group of
people with a common history, religion, language beliefs, tradition, and culture.
As globalization became one of the most intensely debated concepts in the final
years of the twentieth century, some analysts speculated that the state was being
displaced as the primary vehicle through which political communities would organize
themselves in the century to come.
Cultural anthropologist Arjun Appadurai (1996: 19) argued that ‘the nation-
state, as a complex modern political form, is on its last legs’, while management
consultant Kenichi Ohmae (1995) claimed that economic interdependence and global
communication had rendered the nation-state a ‘nostalgic fiction’. But then
governments now jockey for competitive advantage alongside international political
and economic institutions, transnational civil society organizations and multinational
corporations. States now hold themselves accountable to a host of international norms
and standards, often with the express purpose of gaining legitimacy at home and
respectability abroad.
Treaty of Westphalia, a set of agreements signed to end the Thirty Year's War
between the major continental powers of Europe.
•1648
Napoleonic Wars, Napoleon Bonaparte and his armies marched all over much of
Europe
•1803-1815
Concert of Europe, an alliance of great powers that sought to restore the

Westphalian System
•1815-1914
End of World War I, advoacy for the creation of the League of Nations
•1918
World War II, Allied Powers versus the Axis Powers
•1939-1946
Creation of the United Nations
•1946
Figure 1. Key Events in the Origin of the Global Interstate System1
Internationalism vs. Globalism

Internationalism is the desire for greater cooperation and unity among states
and people in the international system. It is divided into two categories namely, liberal
internationalism and socialist internationalism. Under liberal internationalism, you
will encounter philosophers and thinkers like Immanuel Kant, Jeremy Bentham,
Giuseppe Mazzini, and Woodrow Wilson. For socialist internationalism, there are
Karl Marx, Friedrich Engels, and Vladimir Lenin.
Globalism on the other hand, refers to “the network of connections that
transcends distances of different countries in the world”. Compared to the term
1 Figure derived from Claudio, Lisandro E, Abanales, Patricio N. (2018). The Contemporary World. C & E Publishing. pp.29-30
globalism, globalization would be better described as the “increase or decline in the

degree of globalism” (Nye, 2002, p.1 as cited by Aldama, 2018, p. 68). In other words,
the links among countries and people are better associated with globalism while the
speed in which they become linked with one another is globalization.
Effects of Globalization to
Governments
Aldama (2018) enumerated
several challenges to the government of
nation-states as effects of globalization,
namely, (1) traditional challenges, (2)
challenges from national/identity
movements (3) global economics and (4)
global social movements.
These challenges point to the development of threats to the state sovereignty.
External intervention from other nation-states, internal political challenges and
interventions from regional organizations can all undermine state sovereignty
(traditional challenges). Differences in cultural identity and the movements adhering
to such varied cultural identity can also influence the affairs of the nation-state
(challenges from national/identity movements).
Furthermore, global economics
“demands the states to conform to the rules
of free-market capitalism.” Moreover, social
movements which pertain to “movements
of people that are spontaneous or that
emerge through enormous grassroots
organizations”, are one of the
contemporary trends of today’s political
landscape. Due to their transnational operation, the states have little to none control
over them.
References
 Chapter 7 of textbook: “Governments and Citizens in a Globally
Interconnected World of States” by Hans Schattle
 Mazower, Mark. 2006. “An International Civilization? Empire,
Internationalism and the Crisis of the Mid Twentieth Century.” International
Affairs 82(3): 553–566.
 Claudio, Lisandro E, Abanales, Patricio N. (2018). The Contemporary
World. C & E Publishing. pp.26-38
ASSESSMENT TASKS
MAPPING INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION. Choose any of the following
international organizations:
i. The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)

ii. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)
iii. The International Red Cross and Red Crescent
iv. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)
v. The United Nations (UN)
Research about the key information of your chosen international organization.
i. Origin and History

ii. Purpose
iii. Member-states
iv. Current events and issues
v. How do you think nation-states interact through your chosen international
organization? Explain your answer.
Rubric for Assessment:
Content: 15
Presentation: 10
Organization: 10
Format/Grammar: 5
Total – 40
CLASS DEBATE. “The issue of whether or not the nation-state is still relevant today in the
era of globalization has gained different reactions. Some scholars would argue that its role in
global politics is diminishing. On the other hand, others would say that it still remains to be
the primary actor in political affairs. In this activity, you should be able to point out
contending views about such issue through a debate.
Further instructions will be provided should the students wish to pursue this task.

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Intended Learning Outcomes

1. What is global interstate system?

which possesses a government and asserts sovereignty in relation to a particular

Concert of Europe, an alliance of great powers that sought to restore the

World War II, Allied Powers versus the Axis Powers

Creation of the United Nations

Figure 1. Key Events in the Origin of the Global Interstate System1

Internationalism vs. Globalism

globalism, globalization would be better described as the “increase or decline in the

i. The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)

Research about the key information of your chosen international organization.

i. Origin and History

Rubric for Assessment:

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