Wednesday, June 5, 2019
the westphalian system is a temporary and western phenomenon. accept or refute
the westphalian strategy is a temporary and western phenomenon. accept or refuteThe westphalian agreement emerged from the signing of the pacification of Westphalia, two stay treaties of Osnabruck and Munster, in 1648. The westphalian governing body refers to the neo inter field body of nations which exist today. Although many scholars date the modern nation subject from 1648 and the treaty of Westphalia, the terra firma as it existed in the 17thc was the result of the processes that had been occurring for over 500 yrs prior to Westphalia. From 1450-1650, the combination and interaction of political, economic, techno logical and religious factors brought about the shift to the modern state system. For hundreds of years before this period, Europe consisted of a complex system of feudal entities. During the 5thc the Roman Empire disintegrated and only a very basic direct of organisation remained. By the 11thc the system in place was based on feudal relationships and involve d very little interaction with the rest of the world. At the geographical and political centre of the European system was the Holy Roman Empire. Within this system, the principle of authority was hierarchical, but the ability of those at the top of the hierarchy to accomplishment their authority over large territories was limited. The 15th and 16th centuries were characterised by the gradual growth of monarchical powerfulness and influence. As monarchs strugglight-emitting diode against the feudal nobility in their efforts to expand, centralise, and unify their assure over territory, they needed economic and military resources.During this period manufacturing, trade and communication had become increasingly concentrated, resulting in the growth of cities and towns. Eventually a silver economy developed and replaced the system of barter that was characteristic of feudal exchange. Each town came to represent a larger regional economy and a newly strand merchant class began to emerge who desired continual growth and expansion of these regional economies. This expansion required security and order, an authority to provide for roads and communication and to further reduce the barriers to economic expansion. European politics during this period was about nobles and princes, and if the monarchy wanted to challenge the military power of the nobility they needed to leaven their own mass armies. To raise and support these armies elaborate bureaucracies evolved to extract resources in the form of taxes, and to administer military camps and hospitals. In this expansion of bureaucracy the origins of the formal administrative institutions that now characterise the modern state jackpot be seen.This period saw the rapid development and use of military technology that also do possible European expansion to the rest of the globe. The continual rivalries and wars between kings and nobles pushed each to uprise some avail in arms or wealth and led to rapid technologi cal and scientific innovations. wholly of these factors promoted a European expansion, which in turn provided a nonher source of wealth for the European states.In 1918 the 30 year war began and didnt end until the signing of the Peace of Westphalia in 1648. This year is usually marked as the birth of the modern state system and because referred to as the westphalian state system. The westphalian state has several key principles1. State independentty and the fundamental redress of political self determination.2. The principle of non intervention of one state in the internal affairs of another.3. Territorial boundaries integrity and inviolability of states territory4. Collective security of this system balance of powerThe westphalian state as recognised by the peace of Westphalia has not remained unthreatened. globalisation and NGOs subscribe to posed huge challenges to this traditional way of viewing the state system and this essay will explore some of these challenges and. ane of the major challenges to the westphalian state system over recent years has been the process of globalisation whitherby economic, political and socio-cultural transactions are slight and less constrained by national boundaries and the sovereign authority of national governments.Two important processes are driving globalisation1. The continuing advancement of technology enabling the transnational endeavour of goods, people and ideas to become much easier. 2. National governments are less and less willing to exercise control over goods, people and ideas across their borders, because governments construct become more(prenominal) inclined to surrender some of the control over cross-border transactions they once exercised by virtue of sovereign authority. Interdependence has been at the adjudicate of globalisation, with extensive new webs of interdependence creating a truly global system. As colonial empires dismantled and technology improved, fast changes towards globalisati on occurred and interdependence rapidly increased.Globalisation has meant that national boundaries move over become less and less relevant. Many scholars feel that continuing to view the world in terms of the traditional westphalian logic is not very useful due to contemporary interdependencies. They believe that these ideas are now outdated and a new and more modern approach which is more relevant to the world today should be adopted by governments. Globalisation is the increasing movement of goods, information and ideas across national boundaries without significant direct affaire and control by high level governmental actors. This involves heavy participation by various non-state actors, in particular NGOs. Rosenau points out that NGOs are changing societal norms, contest national governments, and linking up with counterparts in powerful transnational alliances. And they are muscling their way into high politics, such as arms control, banking, and trade that were previously d ominated by the stateThis view calls into question the importance of sovereignty and national boundaries.Each state has become so permeable and open to outside influences in that respectfore domestic help and international politics are becoming indistinguishable. Some observers even argue that there is no neat hierarchical pattern of influence and authority therefore states are not necessarily the most powerful actors.These actors seek autonomy of action from states therefore interdependence generates a new set of problems and demands on those with sovereign authority. Westphalian system is temporary as National economies are now increasingly interdependent. 1. Since ww2 international trade has consistently outpaced global production and almost all national economies take hold become more dependent on trade.2. Growth in interdependence in financial flow3. Multi-national corporations are responsible for the growth in foreign investment global economy is therefore becoming integra ted.4. More countries are adopting free-market approaches to economic development5. Signing of international treaties on trade, foreign investment, silver convertibilityGlobalisation and the growth of transnational interactions in post the ww2 era has presented the sovereign state with new problems and challenges. What are these challenges? Can summarise using the three elements of keohane and nyes creation of complex interdependence.In the course of the 20th century, the Westphalian state system in Europe has gone global. Nations subjected to European imperialismor rather, in most cases, Europeanized elites in spite of appearance those nationshave aspired to the form of Europes sovereign nation-states, and have achieved itor rather, in many cases, have haplessly inherited it from colonial masters who lost the will to govern them. Ex-colonies tended to be super sensitive to anything that resembled imperialism in the years immediately after independence, and many protected their economic sovereignty by pursuing autarky, though more recently this manner has reversed.International organizations for drill the UN, treaties, and economic globalization, have all begun to subtly constrain the states freedom of action, and therefore has eroded their jurisdiction from above. It must be pointed out here that jurisdictional boundaries make neither borders nor sovereignty. All polities are subdivided into smaller units for administrative purposes to some extent. These subdivisions imply jurisdictions with discrete boundaries. In federal systems, the subdivisions have some peak of autonomy themselves, in the sense that they have discretion in indisputable areas and cannot be over-ridden by the centre. Yet federal units are considered part of the federation and not separate sovereignties. Ever since the founding of the UN there have been restrictions on states sovereignty from above, on their right to engage in aggression against their neighbours for example. In the course of time, countries have signed up to more and more treaties which prevent them from, say, testing nuclear weapons, or abusing the rights of children. The UN and international treaties are notoriously weak, but they still create a conceptual puzzle what is the difference between a sovereign polity which abrogates certain rights by international treaty and a federal unit which abrogates certain rights in favour of a federal government. This question is as old as the United Nations, as the name of the United Nations suggests the UN embodies an aspiration towards some expression of world federation.Treaties mainly formed by the west but has most effect on developing nations.This is a shift towards a new regulative state and fragmentation that challenges the traditional westphalian frame of sovereignty. New regulatory state is emerging in both developed and developing nations. With this fragmentation comes breakdown of traditional diplomatic domains and activities and also creat ion of new actors, new arenas and new fields of diplomatic activity all of which cut across traditional notion of Westphalian sovereignty. transmutation towards fragmented state due to structural changes in global political economy. Internal sovereignty of state is being transformed by process of globalisation. The westphalian system can be considered to be a western phenomenon due to the notion of failed states. A failed state can be defined as a state considered to have failed at some of the basic conditions and responsibilities of a sovereign government.The Fund for Peace (an independent US based non profit research and educational organisation), has characterised the failed state as follows* loss of physical control of its territory, or of the monopoly on the legitimate use of physical force* erosion of legitimate authority to make bodied decisions* an inability to provide reasonable public go* an inability to interact with other states as a full member of the international c ommunityThese failed states broadly have a central government that is so weak or ineffective that it has little or no control over its territory. Public services are not adequately provided for, there is widespread corruption and criminality, there is involuntary movement of population and there is economic decline.Since 2005 the United States think-tank, the Fund for Peace and the magazine Foreign Policy, publishes an annual index called the Failed States Index. The list only assesses sovereign states (determined by membership in the United Nations.)3The indexs ranks are based on 12 indicators of state vulnerability four social, two economic and six political.In 2009, of the worst 20 states, only Haiti could be considered to be a western state. All others be yened to the developing world. Such states lack legitimacy and find it difficult to exercise any control or power within their own borders. They often find themselves confronted by insurgents or rebels who are trying to over throw them and replace the regime with a tyrannical dictatorship style of government. This may lead to neighbouring states taking advantage of the vulnerability caused by the domestic problems within a state and may therefore cause such states to collapse.Afghanistan can be taken as an example of this, when in 2001 it was invaded by the US to remove the Taliban regime. It is accepted that military action is appropriate if a state is seen to be neglecting its citizens and their basic human rights and allowing terrorist organisations to operate within its borders. This shows that states do not have the automatic rights of sovereignty and that certain obligations to the rest of the world must be upheld in line with international law. If they are found to be in conflict with international law then the result maybe military action taken by UN member states.In the mass of cases it is the developing countries which display the characteristics of failing states and it is the western nation s that take action. This therefore supports the view that the westphalian system can be considered to be a western phenomenon as it is the western states which are able to exercise their rights of sovereignty the most. It has been argued that although international law exists, as long as states adhere to this they will remain free from direct intervention from other states therefore their rights to sovereignty will not be compromised. Despite this it can be seen that sovereignty remains strongest in the so called super power nations.In conclusion it can be said that the westphalian state as recognised by the peace of Westphalia has not remained unchallenged and that these challenges have shown the westphalian system to be a temporary and western phenomenon. The key principles of the westphalian nation as stated above have been threatened by globalisation in particular and this has therefore led to the One of the major challenges to the westphalian state system over recent years has been the process of globalisation whereby economic, political and socio-cultural transactions are less and less constrained by national boundaries and the sovereign authority of national governments.. Many scholars feel that continuing to view the world in terms of the traditional westphalian logic is not very useful due to contemporary interdependencies. They believe that these ideas are now outdated and a new and more modern approach which is more applicable to the world today should be adopted by governments. Globalisation is the increasing movement of goods, information and ideas across national boundaries without significant direct participation and control by high level governmental actors. This involves heavy participation by various non-state actors, in particular NGOs. International organizations for example the UN, treaties, and economic globalization, have all begun to subtly constrain the states freedom of action, and therefore has eroded their jurisdiction from above.Ev er since the founding of the UN there have been restrictions on states sovereignty from above, on their right to engage in aggression against their neighbours for example. In the course of time, countries have signed up to more and more treaties which prevent them from, say, testing nuclear weapons, or abusing the rights of children.The westphalian system can be considered to be a western phenomenon due to the notion of failed states.These failed states generally have a central government that is so weak or ineffective that it has little or no control over its territory. Public services are not adequately provided for, there is widespread corruption and criminality, there is involuntary movement of population and there is economic decline.In the majority of cases it is the developing countries which display the characteristics of failing states and it is the western nations that take action. This therefore supports the view that the westphalian system can be considered to be a weste rn phenomenon as it is the western states which are able to exercise their rights of sovereignty the most. It has been argued that although international law exists, as long as states adhere to this they will remain free from direct intervention from other states therefore their rights to sovereignty will not be compromised. Despite this it can be seen that sovereignty remains strongest in the so called super power nations.
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