Paper Example on Global Issues

The state power has been changing in the last few decades due to the emergence of transnational actors or dominating groups that have a higher negotiating power with respect to state governments. Dominating groups exert a lot of political influence in the modern world. State power is no longer defined by territory, population, and sovereignty. The authority has shifted to transnational actors diminishing the state power (Payne, 2013). For instance, the European Union has become a political, economic and social powerhouse that governs the affairs of European states. The union has imposed a new currency the euro that can be transacted in all EU members. Furthermore, the body imposes trade and financial regulations that govern member states and determines affairs with other nations. Other groups such as NGOs and multinational corporations determine government powers both domestically and in foreign affairs. The power of the state has shifted to firms too. Due to the inevitable force of globalization, the state power has decreased, and much of the power has shifted to multinational corporations that have access to vast markets across the globe (Payne, 2013). As a result, states have little or no influence over the business operations of firms in their foreign market dominance. Due to globalization, the speed of the diffusion of ideas, information, capital, goods, and people are very high as they globalize. Therefore, firms have gained competitive advantages by shifting production facilities into countries with a surplus and cheap labor (Seitz & Hite, 2012). For example, most of Apple products are manufactured in China and other South East Asian countries. Global markets have increased firms profitability and increased the power of MNCs as opposed to that of the state.

On the other hand, political globalization has also been a complex issue that has undermined the state powers and transferred them to international organizations (Baylis, 2017). Groups like the UN and NATO have strong political influence over states. For instance, the UN Security Council and NATO are formed by sovereign states. However, the power employed by these organizations is conceived as the sum of all states, diminishing state power and influence. Therefore, globalization, international bodies, and MNCs have reshaped the nature, power, and role of nations.

What are the implications of these changes for how we tackle some of the global issues discussed in this course?

The implication of these changes has weakened the sovereignty of states. States have become irrelevant actors in the global economy. On the other hand, MNCs and international organizations have taken up the role of policy development and implementation leaving states as passive actors. As a result, nations have been striving to adapt to the shifts in global participation for their success but not to maintain their sovereign rule and power. To tackle the globalization problems encountered by states, international players should give states equal involvement in foreign and domestic governance (Seitz & Hite, 2012). However, globalization has led to the development of strong and weak states. Strong states like the US influence foreign policy while weak countries have found themselves in an external environment that cannot guarantee them some control. Moreover, domestic and foreign policies have become indistinguishable in the new age of globalization, international actors and MNC dominance. In light of this, failed states are a problem that needs to be addressed by the international community. Countries should work together to fight and destroy terrorism and corruption that undermine state sovereignty, success, and welfare (Baylis, 2017). Therefore, the world should promote self-sustaining measures to foster domestic economic and welfare progress.

References

Baylis, J. (2017). Globalization of World Politics. Oxford: Oxford university press.

Payne, R. (2013). Global Issues. Harlow, United Kingdom: Pearson Education Limited.

Seitz, J., & Hite, K. (2012). Global Issues. Chichester, West Sussex: John Wiley & Sons.