Name:
Unit:
Lecturer:
Date Due:
Globalization and its impacts on the importance of the state
Introduction
Globalization refers to the integration of cultures and economies through the sharing of global political framework facilitated through global means of communication, transport and trade. In most cases, globalization in terms of economics refers to the amalgamation of economies of different countries to result to a single international trade platform, which in turn offers opportunities for social and cultural integration (Calomiris 56). Globalization has been used in the description and explanation of global phenomena. As a result, it has received positive outburst by supporters of economic integration without the barriers imposed by national borders. On a similar account, globalization has been significantly criticized basing on the perceptions that it imposes significant threats on social cohesion and that globalization facilitates the progression of free capitalism, which in turn results to an undermining of the welfare state (Jones 78). The animosity concerning the controversial debate on globalization needs the use of a holistic analysis towards the issue. Globalization is mainly a prismatic concept, which should be evaluated basing on the ways that it manifests itself and from diverse perspectives such as its impacts on the reducing the importance of the state and the state can be re-evaluated in such a way that it can benefit from globalization. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate whether globalization is reducing the importance of the state.
The elimination of the trade barriers, advancement in technology and the opening of the global capital markets has resulted ton an increase in the movement of people, goods and information. As a result, they have widened the issues that spill over the country borders requiring significant international regulation. This has imposed increased consultations and negotiations on a global and regional platform. A significant proportion of the issues that the world is currently facing like poverty, terrorism and pollution are transnational, and cannot be effectively addressed using the tools at the disposal of the state (Mintz et al. 78).
Increasing levels of interdependence from a social and economic perspective has the potential of affecting the decision-making processes at the state level in two core ways. For instance, globalization results to a transfer of the state decision making to an international level. Secondly, an increase in the demand for involvement implies that many decisions are transferred to the local government. This complexity in decision-making serves to reduce the significance of state level of government. In fact, political scholars have predicted an end to the power of the state due to the increasing need for cooperation and regulation at the different government levels. Some claim that the state level of government have the only option of adjusting to the impacts of globalization, and that it has no active role in globalization; and this is likely to make the state superseded, reducing its significance (Jones 89).
A contrasting view is the proposition that the state is a key player at both the domestic and international platforms irrespective of the increasing concerns regarding the loss of the state sovereignty due to globalization. The common viewpoint that the onset of a global civil society and the increasing amounts of cross border trade and investment flows are likely to render the state worthless is misrepresented. In an international platform, interstate cooperation serves to strengthen state sovereignty. Therefore, such as an action does not serve to reduce the importance of states. On the contrary, it strengthens the states by the establishment of an international environment characterized by stability and offering an opportunity for the state to expand its scope with respect to the exchange of diverse fields (Calomiris 102).
Another dimension to evaluate the impacts of the globalization on the state is to assess the extent to which the aspect of nation-state has strengthened or weakened due to globalization. Globalization played a significant role on the inception of the nation-States, which has assured security at both internal and external levels in accordance to the provisions of the law, financed by the welfare systems at the national level. During the 20th century, there has been a significant expansion regarding the roles and the responsibilities of the state in all the above-mentioned fields. Jones (89) points out that the need to offer joint public services and the management of externalities is there to stay irrespective of increased globalization. Jones further asserts that there is no evident that underpins globalization to a reduce significance of the state at both local and international level, and that globalization has not served to reduce the relevance of the state functions. On the contrary, globalization has increased their necessity, therefore strengthening the state. Therefore, the viewpoint of a borderless state that has minimal relevance is a misconception. The underlying argument is that globalization, in itself increases the need to have a strong state, which in turn helps in increasing its relevance and importance (Mintz et al. 100).
Conclusion
In order to determine whether globalization reduces the importance of the state or not, it is important to have an empirical analysis of both sides of the equation. An standpoint that can be derived from the above viewpoints is that globalization, in itself imposes the need for the state to expand its capacity and function with higher level of openness, but it does not serve to undermine the role of the state at the national and international frameworks. Therefore, globalization does not reduce the role and the importance of the state, but serves to exert pressure on the state to expand its scope in order to accommodate the challenges and opportunities presented by globalization.
Works Cited
Calomiris, Charles. “A race to the bottom or governance from the top?” Prakash, Aseem and Jeffrey Hart. Coping with globalisation. New York: Routledge, 2002. 56.
Jones, Barry. The World Turned Upside Down? : Globalisation and the future of the state. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 2000.
Mintz, Eric, David Close and Croci Osvaldo. Politics, Power and the Common Good: An Introduction to Political. Toronto, Ontario: Pearson Education, 2011.
Use the order calculator below and get started! Contact our live support team for any assistance or inquiry.
[order_calculator]