Globalization

Globalization

Introduction

Globalization and its impact on the states has become a much debated and argued topic these days. The policy makers and the scholars are very much concerned about what exactly is the role of the nation state in the new millennium and what is the ability of the nation states to adapt to and to effectively handle the many changes and to react to the challenges regarding the social and economic inter dependence. There are two issues in particular that are of deep concern and are increasingly addressed, including whether the role of globalization is weakening the role of state and whether globalization would result in the end of state sovereignty.

Discussion

Ever since the world capital markets have liberalized, trade barriers lifted and the progress of technology, particularly in the fields of telecommunication, transportation and information technology, the movement of information, capital, people and commodities has very much increased and accelerated. But this has also caused a number of issues to broaden that spill over the borders of nation states resulting in requiring regulations, norm settings, formal negotiations and consultations on a regional and a global scale. There are a number of problems afflicting the world today which include environmental pollution, organized crime, poverty and terrorism. All of these issues are transnational in nature and cannot be resolved alone at a national level, nor can they be resolved through state to state negotiations. To resolve such issues, it is important that every state and every individual put in determined effort.

The increase in social and economic interdependence affects the decision making of a nation in two basic ways. It requires the decision to be transferred to the international level and as a result of increased demand for participation; many decisions are also transferred to the local levels of the government. This means that the public policies are under taken at various levels. Therefore, the concept of globalization entails complicated processes of decision making which take place at different levels including sub national, national and global, resulting in a system of governance that is multi layered.

Since regulation and cooperation is required on different levels because of the complications and the transnational nature of the different world issues today, there are many scholars who have forecasted the end of the state power. But some people argue that state can only adjust to the globalization and does not have to have an active role in it. Some people believe that the state will just become out dated.

In spite of the various concerns regarding the loss of sovereignty, the state still is the main actor in the domestic and the international arenas. The accepted hypothesis, that the materialization of the global civil society and the growing levels of finance, cross border trades and investment flows transform the nation state into a relic is simply wrong. In the international arena, the collaboration and resolute actions among the states demonstrates to us the state sovereignty. These concentrated actions do not really weaken the states, instead, they contribute in strengthening ...