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Summary World Politics
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LESSON 1. THEORETICAL FOUNDATIONS OF WORLD POLITICSMario Panadero Meseguer
1.1. The shift from IR paradigm to Globalization paradigm.
Until 1980s → International Relations paradigm. From 1980s → Globalization paradigm.
- Paradigm: “An intellectual framework comprising interrelated values, theories and
assumptions, within which the search for knowledge is conducted” (Kuhn, 1962). →
Where and how to look for knowledge?
“International relations” term first used in 1789.
- No universal definition of IR or Globalization; 3 definitions:
1) A discipline, which tries to explain political activities across state boundaries (Trevor
Taylor, 1979)
2) International relations are the study of all forms of interactions that exist between
members of separate entities or nations within the international system (Joseph Ola, 1999)
3) All human behavior on one side of a national boundary affecting the human behavior on
the other side of the boundary (Harold and Margaret Sprout)
- Globalization: The emergence of a complex web of interconnectedness that means
our lives are shaped by events that occur (and decisions that are made) at a great
distance from us; Quantitative change in what has always been happening?
1.2. The 5 main factors of the shift
1) Economic victory of the US against the USSR → End of the Cold War (First, economic;
later, political)
2) Japan becomes a world economic power → First non-Western country in reaching this
position (2nd and 1st at its peak in some statistics, overtaking US)
3) Adoption of (a modified version of) capitalism by China (most populated country in the
World) (since 1972)
4) Growth of interdependence and interconnectedness. Factor: Emergence of a global &
digital communication dimension → from one-to-many system (traditional media) to
many-to-many (new digital media) .
5) Emergence of new global non-state actors: religion-based political organizations,
transnational movements, multinational companies. With a huge impact on state politics.
,1.3. The 4 main consequences of the shift
1) From state-centrism to the mixed-actor model
- World politics has conventionally been understood in international terms. Now it is
more broadly studied in transnational terms.
- Origin of this state-centric conception: Peace of Westphalia (1648): Ended Thirty
Years’ War (1618-1648) & Eighty Years’ War (1568-1648, Spain - Dutch Republic).
- Established Westphalian sovereignty; independent control in their territory +
Relations between and among states are structured by the acceptance of the sovereign
independence of all states.
3 Global and historical milestones:
- European expansion across the world: Westphalian world.
- The beginning of the modern international system: from medieval Europe to modern
state system.
- The first peace established through Diplomatic Congress (Westphalia, multilateral).
(But State conception isn’t exclusive to Europe; China and Japan too)
- Contemporary conception of Statehood → Based on the Montevideo Convention on the
Rights and Duties of States (Uruguay, 1933);
- Article 1: permanent population, defined territory, government and capacity to
enter into relations with the other states.
- Article 3 (Declarative theory of statehood): The political existence of a state is
independent of recognition by the other states.
(Conflict with the Constitutive theory of statehood; A state exists only insofar as it is
recognized by other states: manifestation of the shift)
2) From independence to interdependence
Until 1950s → Billiard ball model; impermeable and self-contained unit which can influence
each other through external pressure.
- Key aspects of the Billiard ball model:
1) Interaction between and among states → Collisions (in Security dimension and
Diplomacy)
2) These patterns of Conflict and Cooperation are determined by the distribution of power
between states.
, 3) All states are formally, legally equal → But they are NOT materially equal.
4) The International game will be mainly based on the “great powers” (important countries).
- Great Powers definition: Military capacity to defend and influence, economic power,
global spheres of interests and forward foreign policy and have an impact in global
affairs.
To interdependence because of:
- Complex interdependence model (Cobwell Model) .
- Growing interdependence and interconnectedness.
- From realism to idealism.
- Causes: countries less autonomous, economic and other issues are more important,
military less reliable and less political option.
3) From the domestic/international divide to transnationalism
Domestic/International division: territorial gap; state is bounded, domestic and international
affairs are different, states are containers of society.
But with increase of flows and transactions: transnationalism (economy, politics, society,
culture, global health): Vulnerability to events that take place elsewhere in the world.
4) From international anarchy to global governance
Cause of anarchy: no higher authority; states act between them in ‘state of nature’.
Consequences:
- States are forced to rely on self-help (if no other is interested).
- Tendency to conflict and war.
- Conflict only constrained by balance of power developed by diplomacy or natural
coincidence.
New approach: from international anarchy to international society.
(‘Ubi societas ibi ius’; Where there is society there is law)
After 1945: United Nations, International Monetary Fund, World Trade Organization,
European Union, etc.
Main cause of this phenomenon: Increase of collective dilemmas: cooperation rather than
action by a single state.
- Examples: Nuclear threat in the Cold War→ Original collective dilemma.
Financial crisis, terrorism, climate change, world poverty & migration .
CRISIS of the states’ role. Daniel Bell (American political scientist): The states are too big
for the small problems, and too small for global problems.
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