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NATURE OF THE WORLD SYSTEM

International politics has been defined by different writers differently.

According to Charles Reynold, ‘International politics refers to the process by which conflicts arise and
are resolved at the international level’.
According to Harold and Margaret Sprout, international politics can be defined as, ‘Those aspects of
interaction and relations of independent political communities, in which, some element of opposition,
resistance, of conflict, of purpose or interest is present’.
In brief, it may be said that international politics related to the politics adopted by various countries in
respect of their external relations. It involves conflict as well as cooperation.
The term ‘international politics’ is often confused with the term ‘international relations’. There is a
difference between the two. International politics has a narrower scope than international relations.
International relations includes all sorts of relations among the people and groups in the world society,
political as well as non-political, whereas international politics is concerned only with the relations,
which involve some conflict of purpose or interest among the members of the international community.
Thus, international politics is concerned with official political relations, carried on by government of
different countries whereas international relations operate both at the official and non-official levels.
Thus, international relations have a broader scope.
International politics and international relations also differ with regard to methodology of their study.
International relations are more descriptive whereas international politics is purely analytical. In
international politics, effort is made to examine what, why and how of the present, with the view to
establish a relation between the past and the future. Thus, it can be said that international relations
provides the basis for the study of international politics. However, despite the different, the two are co-
related and both pursue the same objective and try to promote international peace.

Nature and Origin of the Nation-State System

According to Palmer and Perkins, the state system is ‘the pattern of political life in which people are
separately organized into sovereign states that interact with one another, in varying degrees and in
varying ways’. The people all over the world are divided into a number of groups, who live in sovereign
states. These states are involved in conflicts as well as cooperation. To protect their respective interests,

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these nation-states generally resort to methods of peaceful persuasion. The sovereign state today is a
dominant feature of international politics.
Generally, the origin of the nation-state system is accepted from the year 1648 onwards, when the Treaty
of Westphalia was signed, which put an end to a 30yr long war. The peace treaty of Westphalia paved
way for the emergence of the sovereign nation-state system. It recognized that the Roman Empire did
not command allegiance of its parts and that the Pope cannot maintain his spiritual authority
everywhere. Now the supreme authority was identified with the nation-state.
Gradually, the nation-state system underwent further development. 1-The rise of representative
government, 2-industrial revolution, 3-growing population, 4-development of international law and
diplomacy, 5-increasing interdependence of the states in the economic sphere, 6-evolution of methods of
peaceful settlement of disputes and 7-expansion of the nation-state system to non-Western world, led to
further development of the nation-state system. One of the factors, which created the deepest impact on
the nation-state system, 8- was the emergence of nationalism. It created a strong sense of attachment
amongst the people towards their state.
9-Even an ordinary citizen became more deeply involved in the political life of his country. Involvement
of common citizens imposed restrictions on the freedom of action of the government. Thus, while
formulating diplomatic policies and taking decisions, even the most autocratic governments had to take
public opinion into account. 10-The statesmen could not anymore trade territories on the basis of ancient
titles. The only legitimate basis for the organization of the state was ethnic or linguistic affinity.
Sovereign states like Russia, Austria-Hungary, Sweden and Norway faced nationalist insurrections. The
movement for national independence gained momentum. Now, even the government used the mass
movements for military and diplomatic bargaining.
11-In the 19th and 29th centuries, the development of sophisticated techniques of military warfare,
which involved extensive civilian mobilization, also affected the character of sovereign nation-state
system. The states fought to impose their political and social institutions upon the defeated nations.
12-Another factor, which transformed the character of the nation-state system, was the use of ideology
and political doctrines. Earlier, the states were motivated by territorial objectives, but in the 19th
century, conflicts were given ideological colors. Most of the wars in Europe were fought in support of
the principle of royal legitimacy against the radical French doctrines. In the 20th century, the wars were
fought in support or against a particular ideology such as Nazism, communism or liberal democracy.

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13-Another notable change took place in the nature of the nation-state system. Towards the end of the
19th century was the extension of the European state system to the rest of the world and the emergence
of new political units in Latin America, Africa and Asia.

Elements of a modern nation-state system

The contemporary nation-state system does not fundamentally differ from the nation-state of the 19th
century. The main elements of the modern nation-state system are as follows:
1) Sovereignty – It implies that the government is the supreme law-making body within the
territorial boundary of the state. A political unit lacking sovereignty has no legal standing among
other sovereign states. Thus, only a sovereign state can enter into a treaty with another. A political
unity without sovereignty is not a legal unit and hence, it cannot become a member of international
organizations. It cannot even claim the rights given to a sovereign state under international laws. As
Palmer and Perkins observe, ‘sovereignty gives the state unique and virtually, unlimited authority in
all domestic matters and in relations to other states’.

In the international context, sovereignty would imply right of self-governance and promotion of national
interest through independent foreign policy. The concept of sovereignty in international relations means
equality of all nations, big or small.
2) Territorial Integrity – A nation-state system must have territorial integrity. As a sovereign state
does not approve of outside interference in its internal matters, it must also abstain from interfering
in the internal affairs of other states. The states must respect territorial integrity of each other and try
to influence the behavior of others to establish diplomatic channels.

3) Legal equality – Irrespective of their size, population, economic resources, military capabilities
etc, the nation-states are equal members of the international community. The principle of equal rights
to all, big or small, nations have been accepted by the United Nations charter.

However, now it is admitted that all states cannot be treated equally because they do not possess equal
size or resources. The more powerful states have always dominated international politics. After the
Second World War, the two superpowers emerged, i.e. the Soviet bloc and the US bloc. Both power
blocs influenced international politics as they were strong and had various countries as their allies,

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although this divided the world into two power blocs and the bi-polar system further aggravated the
tension in international politics.
With the increasing tension between the two power blocs and the Cold War, more and more states
preferred to keep away from the two power blocs. These were the non-aligned states, which gave birth
to the Non-Aligned Movement. This created a third bloc, which led many thinkers to conclude that in
modern times, the nation-state system ceased to be important and the bloc factor started playing a more
significant role. However, some writers like Palmer and Perkins, maintain that ‘nation-state system still
forms the political basis and the political framework of international life’.

Non-State Actors
The states are the primary unit/actors in international politics. Apart from these states, there are certain
non-state actors, who influence the course of international politics. The non-state actors’ have different
purposes and hence, they influence international politics in different manners. Following are some of the
non-state actors:
ℵ Multi-National Companies (MNCs) – MNCs are considered as important non-state actors in
international politics. They are basically business corporations or companies, engaged in business
activities in various countries. Their main aim is to enhance their economic position. Some of the
MNCs are very strong and powerful.

The enormous economic strength of the MNCS leads to the conclusion that they are too huge to be
ignored in international relations. However, many scholars believe that their impact and influence in
international politics is not significant. The others believe that the MNCs certainly influence
international relations/politics. They do oppose or support a particular government or political party in
the host countries. In some cases, the MNCs have acted as a channel for foreign aid, especially in the
under-developed and developing countries. Due to their economic strength, MNCs automatically
influence the decisions of these governments.
However, the MNCs are of the belief that due to their broad and multi-national base, soon they will
make international war obsolete. By mingling with the governments of various countries for economic
tie-ups, they indirectly improve political relations between the host and home countries. This results in
international peace, cooperation and harmony.

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Generally speaking, the MNCs try to create a conducive appearance between the home and the host
countries, to protect their personal economic interests. Thus, their concern is economic, rather than
political.

The interest of the MNCs do not correspond with any one state’s interest. Hence they might sometimes
even act against the policies of the Home govt. However they may provide poor states with foreign
investment and revenues. They in turn depend upon governments to provide a regulated market and
stable political environment.
Sometimes the MNCs have embarrassed the home countries.
(Eg. West German govt found that a German firm sold mustard gas manufacturing equipment to Libya.
OR-
Dresser industries of Dallas, Texas, exported energy technology to USSR. )

However it is well established that the MNCs help in maintenance of Liberal International Economic
Order- LIEO.

ℵ Religious, Ethnic and Terrorist Organizations – The religious, ethnic and terrorist organizations
too are considered important non-state actors. There are various religious and ethnic groups which
are influencing international politics.

Many religious organizations and movements, right from the Roman Catholic Church, to the present day
fundamentalist movements, have had and still have significant influence on international bodies.
Similarly, ethnic groups like the Tamils, Sikhs, Serbs, Turks etc, who want to establish their own
independent nations, though fighting against their respective governments, they are influencing the
course of international politics.

The terrorist organizations like the Al-Fatah in the Middle East, the Irish Republican Army, the Great
Wolves in Turkey, Al-Qaeda etc are using violence and terrorizing tactics. Their activities include
kidnapping civilians and foreigners, assassinating key political figures/leaders, hijacking aircrafts,
killing people, bombing etc, to meet their demands and to draw the attention of the government. Some of

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them are also listed as international terrorist outfits. Thus, they are involved in various nations and are
becoming prominent in international politics. E.g. 9/11
ℵ Regional Organizations – After the Second World War, a conscious effort started to bring
countries closer together to prevent a Third World War, and to maintain international peace and
harmony. As a result, various regional organizations were formed, such as Association of South-East
Nations (ASEAN), South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) etc. These regional
organizations constitute another important non-state actor. Although they do not enjoy and power
over the constituent units, they do influence the decisions, policies and relations of the member
countries, and thus, they become important non-state actors in international politics.

Another successful regional organization is European Economic Community (EEC), which is different
from the above, as it does enjoy some regulators powers. The European Community’s Council of
Ministers can take certain decisions in the economic sphere, which are binding on all the members.
However, the role of EEC is limited to economic activities and the member countries enjoy complete
independence in legal, social, military, or any other matter. Due to economic unity, the member states of
EEC are becoming economically stronger. They also have a common currency, i.e. the Euro, which is
very strong in the international market. They have also done away with visa formalities, i.e. having
separate visas.
ℵ National Liberation Organizations – They constitute important non-state actors because they are
constantly struggling against the government. Those like the PLO, Hamas, South-West African
People’s Organizations, IRA do not possess legal authority over any specific territory. They vary in
size and they have different ideologies. However, all of them are fighting to liberate their respective
territories from the current governments. These organizations make use of military tactics for the
attainment of their objective. Due to their actions against ruling governments and the public support
enjoyed by them, they are playing a significant role in international politics.

ℵ United Nations Organizations (UNO) – The UNO is considered the largest and most important
non-state actor, which is directly and indirectly influencing international politics. There are 192
member states in the UN, and through its various agencies, the UN has exercised significant
influence in all politics.

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Security Council – It is one of the most important agencies, having five permanent members and is
responsible for maintaining international peace and security. However, it has not succeeded in avoiding
conflicts between the superpowers and their allied countries. Besides, the veto power given to the five
permanent members is often misused. However, it has contributed in promoting world peace.
The UN has also functioned as a fact-finder, by investigating various matters, where two or more
countries were/are involved.
In case of war or war-line situation between two countries, the UN can intervene and work towards a
cease-fire or peace process. It is also a forum for negotiations, where representatives of member nations
meet regularly and settle disputes among themselves by mutual bargaining.
However, the significance and importance of the UN depends upon the member states, whether they
respect the laws and the suggestions of the UN. It cannot enforce any rule or decision and hence, it is
important that the member states cooperate and respect the decisions of the UN.
International NGOs – People’s Movements – public opinion (Americans for/against Iraq) – spiritual
organizations (Art of Living, ISKCON) – NGOs working for welfare of women etc.