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Unit 14: Globalization

5. Globalisation has forced the nation-states to retreat from their welfare activities. New issues as Notes
cross-border terrorism, environmental pollution, nuclear proliferation, spread of infectious
diseases and emergence of forces inciting ethnic and racial conflicts immediately engage their
attention. The retreat of the state from the realm of popular entitlements, health, education,
employment, preservation of natural resources and the like has enabled the non-governmental
organisations and the leaders of the social movements to come forward to fill the ‘vacuum’.
Globalisation is a world-vide process which “is unfolding in different parts of the world with different
meanings and different connotations. It is neither a singular condition nor a linear process.” If so, the
trend of globalisation has its own relevance in the domain of comparative politics for two pertinent
reasons. First, because of the thickening of connections between people across countries, it breaks
down the distinction between international relations and domestic politics, making many aspects of
domestic politics subject to global forces. Second, it can also affect politics in other directions, essentially
‘internationalising’ domestic issues and events. “Given that globalisation deepens and widens
international connections local events, even small ones, can have ripple effects throughout the world.”
In short, globalisation presents a number of potential issues and implications for comparative politics.
A student of this subject is expected to know about variations in the operation of different political
systems of the world. As a result of the blurring and shrinking of time and space, old political
institutions need to be ‘transformed’. The meaning and nature of the terms like state, sovereignty,
government, power, legitimacy, development, people’s participation, political recruitment, revolution,
citizenship etc. need revision or reinterpretation so as to save themselves from being obsolete or
irrelevant. As O’Neil observes: “These changes before us are at once uncertain and potentially
profound. We stand at the end of one era in comparative politics and at the rise of a new one, whose
possible changes may be profound - for good or ill - and whose outcome we cannot foresee."
Trans-National State

The Treaties of Westphalia (1648) are said to have created the model of modern nation-state, the
Treaty of Rome (1957) may have the credit of progeniting the model of a trans-national state. The six
states of Western Europe (Italy, France, West Germany, Belgium, Netherlands and Luxemburg) created
the European Economic Community that became European Community after some time and after
the Maastricht Treaty of 1992 became the European Union. Presently it is a body of 25 states and the
number may increase in due course to realise the dream of ‘Common European Home’. All the
members have a common currency (Euro) and a common foreign and defence policy. The European
Commission with its seat at Brussels is the executive wing of the EU whose decisions are binding on
all the members and the European Court (with its seat at Strasbourg) is there to settle the legal disputes
among the members and its decision is final. The citizens of a member-state may freely move in the
territory of another member-state, may join educational institutions of their choice, and may also do
some business or work without any hindrance there.
It is certainly the model of a trans-national state in which all the member- states have the benefit of
pooled sovereignty. Its salient characteristics may be noted as under:
1. Citizens of the members-states have the right to free movement, gainful employment and
residence within the boundaries of the E.U.
2. The laws of the Union prohibit discrimination based on nationality among workers of the
member-states with regard to employment, social security, trade union rights, living and working
conditions, and educational and vocational training.
3. The law of the Union obliges host states to facilitate teaching of the languages and culture of the
countries of origin within the framework of normal education and in collaboration with those
countries.
4. The Commission of the EU recommends full political rights in the long run for the citizens of
the member-states living in other countries of the Union.
5. The state is not the exclusive locus of power within its own territorial boundaries. Its powers
are limited, and so the powers of the Union in relation to individual member-states are limited.

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