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Summary Theories of Global Politics Notes
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Detailed notes on the theories of Global Politics that helped land me an A*
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Theories of Global Politics notesGlobal and National Politics – Similarities
Both relate to:
- taking decisions legitimately
- accountability and holding those in power to account
- solving shared problems such as a domestic or global threat of terrorism
- resolving disputes such as disagreements over ownership of territory
- sharing resources fairly and peacefully
Global and National Politics – Differences
There are differences in power, legitimacy, and authority
1. Power
Power in global politics – ability to achieve desired outcomes and to influence others
- No form of world government
- Institutions such as the UN carry some authority, but only as much as individual member
states allow
- States can choose to ignore and defy these attempts at global governance.
- Global governance: attempts to bring government structures and authority to world politics
in order to deal with common interests and challenges such as climate change or global
terrorism
National politics – a national or sub-national government exercises power
- Example: Her Majesty’s Government in the UK
- Legitimately elected by the people with a mandate to implement the manifesto promises it
made during an election campaign
2. Legitimacy
The ability to do things fairly and lawfully
Can be achieved through complying with or creating law/legislation
- One way of undertaking military action lawfully is through a UN Security Council (UNSC)
resolution which in itself is a statement of international law
National politics
- there is a legislature which holds legitimacy
- power to create laws
- a judiciary and police force (they apply and enforce the law)
Global politics
- No clear authority
- Laws are only created when states agree to them
- Laws often apply only to states who have signed up to them
- Laws are often only enforced when states permit it
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, 3. Authority
Comes from possession of both power and legitimacy
- UK Parliament has authority because it is democratically elected and so possess legitimacy
Global politics
- No comparable structure of world government with clearly defined powers/scope
- No government power that has comprehensive power over every state and region of the
world
- There are institutions that have some authority over certain states or regions, but this
authority is not absolute
- States can decide to ignore or withdraw from these institutions
- Some states are not even members of these institutions
Who is involved in Global politics?
There are more actors involved in global politics than national politics
States are primary actors in global politics
- Have the most authority and legitimacy to make decisions
States have differing powers which impacts the amount of authority they have, the ability to
achieve desired outcomes and influence other states
- Powerful states such as Russia, China and US are more likely to achieve their own goals and
also to limit the choices available to less powerful states
There are also a number of non-state actors that contribute towards global decision making
- IGOs such as the UN, IMF, WTO, and World Bank
- Regional organisations such as EU and ASEAN
- NGOs such as Oxfam and Human Rights Watch
Realism and an anarchical world order
Realism – states are the most important actors in global politics and their primary goal is to
protect their own national interests
The realist viewpoint:
The authority of IGOs should be limited.
- Nation states should retain the exclusive right to act in whatever way they wish
- Nation states may decide to work with and through non state actors, but they will not
abandon their sovereign right to advance their own self-interests
- Anarchy here is seen in the literal sense: absence of government (not a sense of
chaos/disorder)
States are trying to find ways to increase their power and influence within the global political
order
Natural state of the world order is for states to compete with each other
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