Edexcel
Companion to
Global Politics
, Table of Contents
The state and globalisation ..................... 2
Global governance: political .................. 10
Global governance: economic ............... 13
Global governance: human rights ......... 17
Global governance: environmental ....... 27
Power and developments ...................... 33
Regionalism and the EU ......................... 41
Comparative theories ............................ 48
MLC 1
, Global Politics
Topic 1: The state and globalisation
What do you need to know?
• Characteristics of a nation state and of national sovereignty. Nation-state – political community
bound together by citizenship and nationality. National sovereignty – the state’s absolute power
over citizens and subjects.
• The process of globalisation: complex web of interconnectedness – the factors driving
globalisation are the interlinking of people (social), countries, institutions, culture, economics,
technology and politics.
• Its impact on the state system. Widening and deepening interconnectedness and
interdependence. Challenge to state control over citizens in areas such as law. Humanitarian and
forcible intervention. The debate between hyperglobalisers, globalisation sceptics and
transformationalists, including the realist and liberal views.
• Debates about the impact of globalisation including its advantages and disadvantages. The
impact of globalisation, and its implications for the nation state and national sovereignty.
• The ways and extent to which globalisation addresses and resolves contemporary issues, such as
poverty, conflict, human rights and the environment.
Evaluate the view that ‘The nation-state remains the key player in global politics’. [30]
Thesis 1: Nation states represent their views at global conferences
Nations states are entitled to represent their views at the UN, imploring others to follow their
foreign policy aims. The United Kingdom has been able to curb the ivory trade by setting up global
conferences to tackle the issue, allowing nation states to discuss and debate the trade. The way in
which permanent members of the UNSC can also veto resolutions demonstrates how the nation
state remains central to the affairs of the UN, not least because this institution relies on the
cooperation of countries such as the United States. Equally, the African Union acts as a forum for
nation states in the continent to trade and legislate: each member organises their own international
relations and works with others to develop their foreign policy.
However, it has been argued that sovereignty is being pooled within regional organisations.
Decisions are now more frequently made at a regional or global level, the most recent case being the
way in which Italy was forced to reconsider its Autumn 2018 Budget by the ECB. The EU has seen
member states concede law making abilities over areas such as agriculture; immigration and
transport. By setting out directives that it must transpose into its own law and regulations which
automatically apply, the nation state has declined as its courts must submit to ECJ rulings. The EU
also prevents member states from implementing their own immigration policy, due to the free
movement of people. Jean Claude-Juncker [President of the EU Commission] has alluded to this
when he said: “It is no longer a question of national sovereignty…it is a question of European
sovereignty.”
MLC 2
, Thesis 2: Citizen loyalty tends to remain with states
Citizens of nation states have shown to be proud of their country’s history, especially its imperialist
legacy when they are fired by nationalist tendencies. For example, 59% of Brits said they were proud
of the British Empire; this shows how they support the accomplishments of their nation state, even
though some historians have written the Empire was a manifestation of racism. Furthermore, the
British monarchy serves as a symbol of the power of the nation state through its exclusivity; the
Queen’s subjects have celebrated her Queen’s Jubilees with pride, and seven in ten Britons support
the continuation of the monarchy. Together with the way in which pro-European parties have fared
poorly compared to Marine le Pen’s National Front and the AfD in Germany, it is clear that there is a
painstaking desire for an individual, national identity that is not warped by the cultures of
continents. Moreover, the Brexit vote epitomised a desire for popular sovereignty and a belief in
Britain’s power to stand alone, demonstrating support for the nation state in the wake of globalist
influences.
However, liberal commentators have asserted that a new identity of Europatriotism is beginning to
emerge. Citizens of member states have begun to feel less patriotic towards their own countries
because of its associations with fascism. Instead, their loyalty can lie with the regional organisations
such as the EU, born out of sympathies for the European ideal. The liberal Richard von Coudenhove-
Kalergi first designed plans for a European super state; his pan-Europeanism paved the way for such
a new European identity (stamps and Europe Day).
These views are heartily expressed by Guy Verhofstadt MEP [EU Parliament Negotiator for Brexit],
whose pro-European politics has usurped that of nation states in institutions such as the European
Parliament. In Germany, pro-EU rallies, celebrating the fruits of this supranational organisation,
often take place in cities. Equally, in England, young people are no longer proud to be British; a
YouGov poll in 2018 found just 45% of 18-24s were proud to be British, highlighting the loss of a
national identity, which is being substituted for an allegiance to the EU. This marks a clear desire for
the nation state to be extinguished.
Thesis 3: The foreign policy of nation states is governed by naked self-interest.
Nation states are inherently selfish when deciding their foreign policy objectives. For example,
Donald Trump has ripped up NAFTA in order to secure a ‘fairer’ arrangement for the US, preferring
to construct bilateral or trilateral deals rather than participate in multi-national trading blocs. Rather
than removing poverty from Africa, China’s investment into the continent is business orientated; its
goal is to make money from a cheap workforce, rather than improve living standards. This argument
is convincing as the Chinese plan to invest $60bn in Africa, demonstrating their self-interested
foreign policy. Not only this, but governments’ foreign policy can also be decided along party lines;
the Brexit Referendum was intended to placate the right wing of the Tory party and did not reflect
Cameron’s desire to work with EU member states.
MLC 3
