TOPIC: GLOBAL INTERSTATE SYSTEM

What is Globalization?
Globalization is a process of economic exchange in the globe that removes barriers of
the flow of goods, services, capital, and labor.
The Attributes of Today’s Global System
1. countries or states are independent and govern themselves.
2. these countries interact with each other through diplomacy.
3. international organizations facilitate these interactions (i.e. UN); and
4. beyond facilitating meetings between states, international organizations also take
on lives of their own.
a. State, in layman’s terms, refers to a country and its government. - a community of
persons more or less numerous occupying a definite territory completely free of external
control and possessing an organized government to which the great body of inhabitants
render habitual obedience.
- The Primary actors we study in international relations are states.
b. Nation, according to Benedict Anderson, is an “imagined community” and does not
go beyond a given “official boundary”. It is inherently limited and sovereign. It has
boundaries, meaning not anyone can be a Filipino.
- this refers to large group of people who share common characteristics such as
language, traditions, and ethnicity.
c. Nation-state – relatively modern phenomenon in the human history whereby it
composed of two non-interchangeable terms: nation and state.
Weber (1979) describes the state as a compulsory political organization with a
centralized government that maintains the legitimate use of force within a certain
territory. On the other hand, the concept of nation emphasizes the organic ties that
hold groups of people together and inspire a sense of loyalty and belonging – i.e.,
ethnicity, language, religion, and others (Schatle, 2014). Combining these two, nation-
state can then be defined as a political community that emanates from civic society to
legitimately execute peace. Thus, the civic society is the basis of the people’s oneness.
Today, the globalization of politics created an atmosphere where the ideas of the
nation-state, state sovereignty, government control, and state policies are challenged
from all sides.
suggested “replacements” for nation-states:
1. regional alliances and worldwide organizations
2. regional and int'l economic bonds
3. private capital groups
4. non-state organizations
d. Sovereignty
 Key concept in the Global Interstate system and international law.
- Sovereignty is perhaps the key concept in international
law and international relations because it defines the entire way in which countries
relate to one another and to international bodies like the United Nations.
 States recognized each other’s in the international system.
 By sovereignty, we mean that in principle all states are legally equal (de jure).
Problems of Sovereignty
 Sovereignty is a legal definition and does not mean that all states are equal in
their power, influence, wealth, etc.
 Sovereignty also does not mean that states can prevent all crime, injustice, etc.
System - Assemblage of units, objects, or parts united by some form of regular
interaction.
GLOBAL INTERSTATE SYSTEM: THE DEVELOPMENT OF WORLD-SYSTEMS
World-systems are whole systems of interacting polities and settlements. Systemness
means that these polities and settlements are interacting with one another in important
ways – interactions are two-way, necessary, structure, regularized, and reproductive.
THE DEVELOPMENT OF WORLD-SYSTEMS
 The world-system perspective emerged during the world revolution of 1968 and
the anti-war movement that produced a generation of scholars who saw the
peoples of Global South (then called the “Third World”) as more than an
underdeveloped backwater.
 It became widely understood that a global power structure existed and that the
people of the non-core had been active participants in their own liberation.
 The history of colonialism and decolonization were seen to have importantly
shaped the structures and institutions of the whole global system.
 A more profound awareness of Eurocentrism was accompanied by the realization
that most national histories had been written as if each country were on the
moon.
 The nation state as an inviolate, pristine unit of analysis was now seen to be an
inadequate model for the sociology of development.
The modern world-system is structured politically as an interstate system –
a system of competing and allying states. Political Scientists commonly call this
the international system, and it is the focus of the field of International Relations.
Some of these states are much more powerful than others, but the main organizational
feature of the world political system is that it is multicentric. There is, as yet no world
state. Rather there is a system of states. This is a fundamentally important feature of
the modern system and of earlier regional world-systems as well.
THE WORLD SYSTEM THEORY
 World-system theory is a macro-scale approach to analyzing the world history of
the mankind and social changes in different countries.
 The definition of the theory refers to the division of labor, be it inter-regionally or
transnationally.
 Currently, the theory divides the world into the core, semi-periphery and
periphery countries.
CORE NATIONS
 Core: Describes dominant capitalist countries which exploit the peripheral
countries for labor and raw materials.
 Core nations appear to be powerful, wealthy, and highly independent of outside
control.
 They can deal with bureaucracies effectively; they have powerful militaries and
can boast with strong economies.
 Due to resources that are available to them (mainly intellectual), they are able to
be at the forefront of technological progress and have a significant influence on
less developed non-core nations.
SEMI-PERIPHERY NATIONS
 Semi: Countries that share characteristics of both core and periphery countries.
 These regions have a less developed economy and are not dominant in the
international trade.
 In terms of their influence on the world economies, they end up midway between
the core and periphery countries
  However, they strive to get into a dominant position of the core nation, and it was
proved historically that it is possible to gain major influence in the world and
become a core country.
PERIPHERY NATIONS
 Periphery: Peripheral countries are dependent on core countries for capital and
have underdeveloped industry.
 These are the nations that are the least economically developed.
 One of the main reasons for their peripheral status is the (because of the high
percentage of uneducated people who can mainly provide cheap unskilled labor
to the core nations.)
 There is a very high level of social inequality, together with a relatively weak
government which is unable to control country’s economic activity and the
extensive influence of the core nations.
Verbal:
(Ate Ann’s constructed explanation) - The Global interstate system demonstrates
that it is associated with the World System Theory in terms of the three divisions we
previously discussed, the core, semi-periphery, and periphery. Even though these
three divisions will expose what is lacking within the countries that fall under each
division, it will also help those countries to recognize each other's strengths and so
they can provide help to other countries.
Interstate system–a system of competing and allying states.
 A global system, like a regional system, can be characterized by its degree of
hierarchy, or by its polarity. If it were dominated by one great power, a hegemon,
it would be unipolar. By contrast, a system dominated by two great powers would
be bipolar and a system of three or more great powers would be multipolar.
 Global systems include the environmental, political, legal, economic, financial,
and cultural systems that help to make and remake the world.
 Examples of Global Systems include epidemics, finance, cities, the Internet,
trade systems and more. GSS addresses the question of policies having
desirable outcomes, not necessarily optimal outcomes.
What is Global Interstate System?
“Global Interstate System” is a system of competing and allied states around the world.
The word “global” refers to the interaction networks in which people live, whether these
are spatially small or large around the world. “Interstate” explains the connections and
operations between states, and “system” means that these policies and settlements are
interacting with one another in important ways; interactions are two-way, necessary,
structured, regularized, and reproductive.
Systemic interconnectedness exists when lives of the people in the jurisdiction and of
others are significantly affected and influenced through the interactions, this is pivotal
for social continuity and/or social change.
Verbal:
(GLOBAL)- The word global is the term that tells of the social networks on which we people
live.
(INTERSTATE)- Then interstate is the interconnection or simple put the relationship and the
action between countries.
Interstate relations are those authoritative actions, understandings, or commitments of the
governmental authorities--the leaders--of one state to or with the governmental authorities of
another state or its groups or citizens, either bilaterally or through international organizations.
(SYSTEM)- While in the system, this is where the topic's uncertainty emerges, because
we're now talking about proposals that are deeply intertwined to negotiation.
Bakit daw may nag eemerge na uncertainties well di ba sa concept ng negotiation di naman
natin palaging pwede iexpect na everything will go smoothly as what we planned
beforehand, right? And since we are using the term “globally” there are varieties of
nationalities, different beliefs, and cultures and for that there is a possibility na countries
either became allies or they end up you know uhm competing with each other. And also,
mas broad na yung politics dito.

Global Interstate System Background

 The international state system was born in Europe with the Treaty of Westphalia in
1648, after the Thirty Years War.
Treaty of Westphalia –set of agreements signed in 1648 to end the Thirty Years’ War
between the major continental powers of Europe. It was designed to avert wars in the
future by recognizing that the treaty signers exercise complete control over their
domestic affairs and swear not to meddle in each other’s affairs and provide stability for
the nations of Europe.
Peace of Westphalia, European settlements of 1648, which ended the Eighty Years’
War between Spain and the Dutch and the German phase of the Thirty Years’ War. The
peace was negotiated, from 1644, in the Westphalian towns of Münster and Osnabrück.
The Spanish-Dutch treaty was signed on January 30, 1648. The treaty of October 24,
1648 comprehended the Holy Roman emperor Ferdinand III, the other German princes,
France, and Sweden. Meanwhile England, Poland, Russia, and the Ottoman Empire
were the only European powers that were not represented at the two assemblies. Some
scholars of international relations credit the treaties with providing the foundation of the
modern state system and articulating the concept of territorial sovereignty.
Westphalian system: A global system based on the principle of international law that
each state has sovereignty over its territory and domestic affairs, to the exclusion of all
external powers, on the principle of non-interference in another country's domestic
affairs, and that each state (no matter how large or small)
 The system is designed to avert war in the future.
Interstate System Overview
Governments not only interact with the people they rule but also with other
governments—to trade, to share ideas, to work together to solve global problems, and
to resolve disputes. Political scientists have been analyzing international relations—
relations between states—for centuries, but never more so than during the twentieth
century, as scholars tried to explain the reasons for and explore the aftermath of World
Wars I and II and the Cold War that followed.
Although numerous international agreements and institutions exist to facilitate
smooth relations among the nearly 200 countries in the world, international politics can
still be extremely violent. Even though people have fought one another for millennia,
political scientists still do not know exactly what causes people and states to go to war,
start revolutions, or commit acts of terrorism. Identifying both immediate and long-term
causes and consequences of political violence, as well as thinking about the impact of
this violence on the international system, has become an important part of political
science.
History of the International System
Summary History of the International System
States engage with one another in an environment known as the International System.
All states are considered to be sovereign, and some states are more powerful than
others. The system has several informal rules about how things should be done, but
these rules are not binding. International relations have existed as long as states
themselves. But the modern international system under which we live today is only a
few centuries old.
Significant events have marked the milestones in the development of the
international system.
1. The Peace of Westphalia (1648)
In 1648, the Peace of Westphalia, which ended the Thirty Years’ War between Catholic
states and Protestant states in western and central Europe, established our modern
international system. It declared that the sovereign leader of each nation-state could do
as she or he wished within its borders and established the state as the main actor in
global politics. From that point forward, the international system has consisted primarily
of relations among nation-states.
2. Shifting Balances of Power (1600–1800)
In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, the nation-state emerged as the
dominant political unit of the international system. A series of powerful states dominated
Europe, with the great powers rising and falling. Weaker states often banded together to
prevent the dominant power from becoming too strong, a practice known as preserving
the Balance Of Power. Frequent wars and economic competition marked this era. Some
nations—notably France and England—were powerful through most of the modern age,
but some—such as Spain and the Ottoman Empire—shrank in power over time.
3. Emergence of Nationalism (1800–1945)
The nineteenth century brought two major changes to the international system:
 Nationalism emerged as a strong force, allowing nation-states to grow even more
powerful.
Italy and Germany became unified countries, which altered the balance of
military and economic power in Europe.
The problems raised by the unification of Germany contributed to World War I
(1914–1918). In the aftermath of the war, the international system changed dramatically
again. The major powers of Europe had suffered greatly, whereas the United States
began to come out of its isolation and transform into a global power. At the same time,
the end of the Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian empires created a series of new nations,
and the rise of communism in Russia presented problems for other nations. These
factors contributed to the Treaty of Versailles, the rise of Nazism and communism, and
World War II (1939–1945).
4. New World Orders (1945–Present)
The end of World War II marked a decisive shift in the global system. After the
war, only two great world powers remained: the United States and the Soviet Union.
Although some other important states existed, almost all states were understood within
the context of their relations with the two superpowers. This global system was called
Bipolar because the system centered on two great powers.
Since the end of the Cold War and the fall of the Soviet Union, the nature of the
world has changed again. Only one superpower remains, leading some scholars to
label the new international system Unipolar. Others point to the increasing economic
power of some European and Asian states and label the new system Multipolar. To
some extent, both terms are accurate. The United States has the world’s most powerful
military, which supports the unipolar view, but the U.S. economy is not as powerful,
relative to the rest of the world, lending credence to the multipolar view.

A Plethora Of Politics
Political scientists usually use the terms international politics and global politics
synonymously, but technically the terms have different meanings. International
Politics, strictly speaking, refers to relationships between states. Global Politics, in
contrast, refers to relationships among states and other interest groups, such as
global institutions, corporations, and political activists. Comparative Politics seeks
to understand how states work by comparing them to one another. While
international relations studies how states relate to one another, comparative politics
compare the internal workings of a state, its political institutions, its political culture,
and the political behavior of its citizens.

Purpose of Global Interstate System

The balance of power in the interstate system prevents any single state from
controlling the world economy, and from imposing a political monopoly over
accumulation. This means that "factors of production" cannot be constrained to the
degree that they could be if there were an overarching world state.

Verbal:
The interstate system prohibits any state from dominating the global economy or
political monopoly. A government monopoly, also known as a public monopoly, is a
type of arbitrary monopoly in which a government entity or company is the only
supplier of a certain product or service, with competition forbidden by law. It’ll be
hard for other states if may isa na magdodominate that’s why ipinagbabawal ito ng
interstate system and it is also one of the reason why interstate system was created.
 The most important feature of the interstate system is that it is anarchic. Unlike
politics within states, relations between states take place in a Hobbesian 'state of
nature’. Since an anarchic system is one in which all states constantly face actual or
potential threats, their main goal is security.

What are the principles of global interstate system?

Country states are sovereign in governance and law, but they make economic and
legislative compromises for mutual benefit with other sovereign jurisdictions.
Principles of Interstate

System
 NATIONALISM – a doctrine and/or a political movement that seeks to make the
nation the basis of a political structure, especially a state. It is a sense of national
consciousness that generally exalts one’s own nation above others and focuses
on the promotion of interests.
 INTERNATIONALISM - desire for greater cooperation and unity among states
and people. In a more comprehensive definition, it is a political principle that
places the interests of the entire world above those of individual nations and
argues for cooperation among nations for common good. This can be divided into
two broad categories: liberal internationalism and socialist internationalism.
- It is the increasing importance of international trade, international relations,
treaties, alliances, etc. Inter-national, of course, means between or among
nations.
- LIBERAL
- SOCIALIST
 GLOBALISM - Globalism refers to various systems with scope beyond the
merely international. It is used by political scientists, such as Joseph Nye, to
describe "attempts to understand all the interconnections of the modern world—
and to highlight patterns that underlie them."
Globalism Vs. Globalization
Globalism, at its core, seeks to describe and explain nothing more than a world which is
characterized by networks of connections that span multi-continental distances. ... In
short, consider globalism as the underlying basic network, while globalization refers to
the dynamic shrinking of distance on a large scale.
Internationalism Vs. Globalism
Internationalism is political, economic, and cultural cooperation between nations while
globalism is an ideology based on the belief that people, goods and information ought to
be able to cross national borders unfettered.
Internationalism Vs. Nationalism
Internationalism is political, economic, and cultural cooperation between nations while
nationalism is patriotism; the idea of supporting one's country and culture.