Globalization, Regionalization and Sovereignty

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Globalization, Regionalization and Sovereignty
Globalization
Regionalization
Sovereignty
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Lecture 1
Defining the Terms.
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Defining the Terms

• Several words are key to this course, and are
  often used loosely or ambiguously. So we need to
  understand what they meanat least we should
  agree on what they mean for the purposes of this
  course.

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Defining the Terms

• GLOBALIZATION
• It is both a Phenomenon and a Processa very
  important distinction for us. One is a noun the
  other a verb
• As a phenomenon, we could remark that there seems
  to be a MacDonalds everywhere now. That is just
  an observation.

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Defining the Terms

• As a process, the question is WHY is there a
  MacDonalds in so many parts of the world? What
  process is causing this?
• Quite simply, Globalization (verb) is the process
  by which changes occur that have an impact
  everywhere in the world. We are not saying that
  they have the same impact nor that the impact is
  good or bad, just that they institute change

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Early Globalization
Occasionally Nature produced a global show, such
as a massive volcano that could alter the climate
for a few years
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Defining the Terms

• REGIONALIZATION
• Much more difficult to define and has many
  meanings
• Basically, a grouping of states who, at that
  moment, have a common interest in coming together
  for a specific purpose
• NATO, NAFTA,

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The Members of NATO
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Defining the Terms

• Sovereignty
• The highest level of authority over the life of
  the individualIndiana is subservient to the USA,
  but the USA is not subservient to the UNso
  sovereignty lies with the US
• We have around 200 sovereign states right now
  defining International Relations

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Symbols of Sovereignty
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Defining the Terms

• INTERNATIONAL
• Means literally, Between States (as defined under
  Sovereignty earlier)
• International Trade is trade among nations, as
  opposed to Domestic Trade
• International Organizations are those that
  comprise several states as members.
• You could say Boy Scouts is international, but we
  are talking about activities relating states

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Defining the Terms

• TRANSNATIONAL
• A really badly misused word (e.g. Transnational
  Corporations)
• Trans means across, and literally it is
  cross-border activity
• The main focus here is likely to be the Border
  such as illegal immigration, smuggling, terrorism.

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The Border 1
A major transnational problem for the USA is the
movement of huge amounts of drugs across a long
border that is difficult to control. The value of
illegal cocaine, alone, entering the US is 40
BILLION
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The Border 2
How do you control illegal drugs or immigrants in
circumstances like this?
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Defining the Terms

• BILATERAL MULTILATERAL
• Bilateral is, literally, two sided, and it refers
  to formal relations between two statesThe
  US-Mexico Extradition Treaty for instance
• Multilateral is many sided, and this refers to
  arrangements among whole groups of states, such
  as The Caribbean Initiative

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Defining the Terms

• FREE-TRADE AREA
• It means that there are no tariffs among the
  member states of the FTA, like NAFTA for instance
• However, there are Non-Tariff Barriers that can
  impede trade just as effectively, like US vehicle
  standards applied to Mexican trucks

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Defining the Terms

• The FTA does not necessarily imply any political
  commitment. It refers to the barriers to trade
  only.
• However, these barriers can often assume a
  political form, and it is relatively easy for an
  FTA to grow into something very different.
  Consider the European Union.

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NATA, and After?
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Defining the Terms

• INTERNATIONAL LAW
• Refers to law beyond the sovereignty of the
  state, but not a new level of sovereignty
• The states agree to be bound by international
  law, but can walk away from it without much fear
  of consequences
• It is not like National Lawyou cannot walk away
  from that.
• International Law works through Treaties

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Defining the Terms

• STATE
• States govern a fixed and agreed territory with
  boundaries and are the highest level of
  sovereignty. They are the members of the UN.
• So far, we do not recognize anything above the
  level of the state as having rights over citizens.

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A State but not a Nation Iraq, Austria-Hungary
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Defining the Terms

• NATION
• Groups of people claiming a common bond or
  identity (culture, language)
• Though we talk about Nation States many nations
  are not states, and many states are not nations
• States come and go, nations persist
• Where does the US stand in all this?

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A Nation But Not a State
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Final Reminder

• Start reading the book.

I did, and I just loved it.
Read the Introduction and the Chapter Defining
the Terms