THE GLOBAL

INTER-STATE
SYSTEM

CWORLD1
“fragmegration”
 a contraction of the terms ‘fragmentation’ and ‘integration’,
refers to the ‘diverse and contradictory forces that can be
summarized in the clash between globalization, centralization, and
integration on the one hand and localization, decentralization and
fragmentation on the other’.
The process of fragmegration stimulates the need for new and
relevant forms of governance (Rosenau)
• After World War II (1945), the United Nations (UN) had 51 founding
member-states.
• In 2012, the organization had 193 members.
• Palestine obtained acknowledgement in November 2012 as a “nonmember
observer state” of the UN. This is also the status held by the Vatican.
• When the People's Republic of China (PRoC) took over mainland China in
1949 and replaced the Republic of China (Taiwan) as China's representative
in the United Nations, Taiwan totally lost its UN membership and its
permanent seat in the UN Security Council in 1971. Taiwan is trying for years
(but without success) to be acknowledged as a “non-member observer”
standing in the UN (Schattle, 2008).
“nation” (an ethnic concept)
emphasizes organic relations that hold clusters of
people as one and promotes a sense of allegiance and
belongingness.
At present, nations are seen as communities of
people that unite citizens together based on various
cross-cutting identities: ethnicity, language, religion,
etc. (Anderson, 1991).
The State in a World of Economic Interdependence

 “Golden Straitjacket” which explains how countries are now

obligated to adhere to rules that suit the likings of investment houses
corporate executives (the “Electronic Herd”) who speedily transfer
capital (money and other resources) into states preferred as
adaptable to the dictates of transnational firms. On the other hand,
withdraw investments from nation-states which are believed to be
uncompetitive. Hence countries rely heavily on the Electronic Herd for
investments (Friedman, 2000).  
Title
• Under import substitution policy, Mexico failed to produce a feasible
car industry. Nonetheless, it was able to develop its global market for
automobile parts. Growers in Argentina and New Zealand generated
profit exporting winter fruits and vegetables to Northern Hemisphere
buyers. Firms in Thailand and Turkey, facing difficulties of borrowing
money domestically, now had access to cheap and abundant overseas
finance. These nations and their populace benefitted out of foreign
markets to hasten their growth (Frieden, 2006).
Title
Experts on neoliberalism argue that if LDCs follow
their recommendations on free and open markets,
they would later on become newly-industrialized
countries (NICs). However, in reality what the HDCs
planned was to sustain control of the LDCs wealth,
raw materials, and cheap labor (Barajas, 2004).
Title
• The Japanese rejected American ideas, and focused more on
developing globally competitive capabilities by protecting and funding
infant industries (i.e., steel, consumer electronics, and
semiconductors). In South Korea, the most prosperous companies are
the steel maker POSCO (established with government investment)
and Samsung (a huge family-dominated conglomerate with wide-
ranging special affiliations with the government in various interlocking
industries and technologies (Prestowitz, 2012).
Title
• According to Clarke (2004), very minimal wages, awful
working environments, and negligible environmental
standards entice MNCs to establish sweatshops/firms
(usually through subcontractors) in many LDCS. These LDCS
only became aware when accidents happen (i.e., series of
factory fires in Bangladesh in 2012; the collapse of a factory
building in April 2013 in which more than 1,100 workers died
producing clothes for retailers ranging from Benetton to Wal-
Mart).  
Economic and Political Integration: The Case of the European
Union  

• Due to intensifying economic interdependence, states

decided to form regional linkages with neighboring countries
that encourage commerce and economic cooperation.
• Some of these include the African Union (AU); the
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN); trading
blocs (i.e., North American Free Trade Agreement - NAFTA);
the Caribbean Community (Comunidad del Caribe).
Title
• After World War II, the political leaders in Europe, launched the
European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC).
• European Court of Justice (ECJ) operated as the highest dispute
resolution body for the EU and its forerunners. It set forth provisions
such as “direct effect” (EU laws take precedence over national laws
when the two sets of laws come into conflict) and “supremacy”
(member-states are obligated to follow EU laws) (Council of Europe,
2012).
Title
• The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) which is a portion of an
even bigger association (the Council of Europe) advocates the
European Convention of Human Rights (ECHR), currently ratified by all
47 of its member-states.
• Any person, group of persons, or CSO can file ECHR cases against a
member-state, and member-states can also initiate cases against each
other. The ECHR has dispensed groundbreaking decisions in various
areas (i.e., freedom of expression, freedom of religion, protection
from discrimination, and the right to a fair trial) which are frequently
violated by member states (Council of Europe, 2012).
The Rise of International Law and
Universal Principles
• Doyle (2011), the failure of the League of Nations before World War II
reinforced the cooperative will among leaders of the world to
establish another international association that would assist global
negotiations and uphold human rights and fundamental freedoms.
Leaders of the Allies (US, UK, France, Russian and China) collectively
established the “United Nations” while fighting the war against the
Axis Powers (Japan, Germany, and Italy). The San Francisco
Conference in 1945 established the organization that endures up to
this day.  
Title
• Doyle (2011), the UN also works with countries across the globe to
advocate human rights and humanitarian values.
• The UN Security Council promotes the doctrine of “Responsibility to
Protect” (R2P) when it approved in early 2011 a “no-fly zone”, an
arms embargo, and the use of “hard power” in Libya's civil war.
• This strategy aimed to protect civilians from government attacks and
gave the revolutionary forces a better chance at dethroning the
government of Moammar Gaddafi.
• 
Title
• Nye (2005), the partnership among countries in some cases means better
provision of government services.
• However, in some instances it may also mean infringements by the “national
security state” into civil liberties and privacy rights.
• These were evident in the immense global surveillance operations
engineered by the United States National Security Agency (USNSA) and its
government and business associates worldwide.
• These included interceptions of e-mail messages and tracking of mobile
phones. Global travelers and migrants are conscious that passport control
officers take compulsory photographs and collect fingerprints of people
passing through checkpoints.
States as Targets: The Rise of Transnational Activism

• Keck and Sikkink (1998), transnational activism has roots that go back
to 19th century campaigns against slavery; against foot-binding
practices in China; and for women's voting rights.
• Keck and Sikkink coined the phrase “boomerang pattern of influence”
to describe what can happen when domestic CSOs/NGOs on the
losing ends of political struggles join forces with compatible foreign
advocacy groups that can pressure the national governments in
question.
States as Targets: The Rise of Transnational Activism

• Social media platforms also eased the way for

citizens’ groups across the “global south” to
build network partners. Facebook, Twitter and
their local counterparts worldwide are now
utilized in transnational advocacy movements
(Gladwell, 2010; Starbird & Palen, 2012).
• The world's “digital citizens” who have enough
Internet access and possess the capability to
make the most of cyberspace now evaluate for
themselves which sources are credible and
compelling enough to follow on a continuing
basis (Jamieson & Cappella, 2010;
Sunstein,2009).