Module
4 States, Nations, and Globalization
In this module, you will be able to:
You have learned in module 1 that political science is the study of the state and the government. In this section, you will further understand the state and be acquainted with the fundamental differences among state, government, and nation. You may wonder what could be the importance of states as a political entity and as an actor in the global order, given the increasing interconnectedness of the world at present. The relationship between the state and globalization will also be addressed in this part.
States, Governments, and Nations
The state is a political community that has sovereign jurisdiction over a clearly defined territory, and exercises authority through several institutions, including the government. Heywood (2013) offers five features of a state:
Big Idea
The state is a figure of power and authority in managing public affairs. Hence, it is considered the most powerful political entity. However, it is challenged by various phenomena such as globalization.
1.It is sovereign.
2.Its institutions are public.
3.It is an exercise of legitimation.
4.It is an instrument of domination.
5.It is a territorial association.
In a globalized community, the state rests on four elements, namely: sovereignty, government, territory, and people. Sovereignty refers to both jurisdiction (the ability of a state to exercise its authority over its territory and people) and independence (the freedom from external control). The government is the machinery of the state through which the people’s will is formulated and carried out. The territory includes all the land, sea, and airspace the state exercises jurisdiction on. Finally, the people or population is the organization of human beings living together as a community.
There are several classifications of states depending on the perspective one adheres to. Roskin (2012) claimed that while no international tribunal classifies states based on strength, analysts provide three categories.
Table 4.1. Types of States
| Type of State | Characteristics |
| Effective |
• The state controls and taxes the entire territory.
• Laws are mostly obeyed.
• The state provides general welfare and security.
• There exists only minor corruption.
|
| Weak |
• Crime has penetrated politics.
• Government is weak in fighting lawlessness, corruption, and poverty.
• Justice is bought, and elections are often rigged.
• Governmental revenues go to private pockets.
|
| Failed |
• No national government exists.
• The state is ruled by warlords, private army, and militias.
• “Gun” is the law.
• Education and health standards decline.
|
What Have I Learned So Far?
1.What are the elements that create a state? Are these elements mutually exclusive? Provide concrete reasoning.
2.Can there be a strong state without a nation? Use the situation of the Philippines to explain your answer.
Reflect Upon
In what ways does the Philippine government address the needs, desires, and concerns of its people? What kind of relationship does the state create with its people? Discuss these questions with five of your classmates, and then come up with a short essay summarizing the ideas you have gathered.
Roskin (2012) held that a state is a powerful entity, strong enough to enforce its will. Political institutions, the working structures of government, are important in the proper functioning of a state. As introduced to you in module 1, the government serves as a mechanism of the state, through which the will of the people is expressed, formulated, and carried out. One way of studying political institutions is through identifying the locus of power—that is, by asking the question, “Who governs?”
Big Idea
To be able to fulfill its roles effectively, the government depends on a specified set of rules, which is called the law or policy set. It contains government structures, processes, and mechanisms to perform specific functions.
From this, governments may be classified in several ways. One of the earliest classifications was that of Aristotle’s. He distinguished governments based on who governs and whether or not such government is positive (legitimate) or negative (corrupt). The table below presents Aristotle’s classic work.
Table 4.2 Aristotle’s Six Types of Governments
| Who governs? How many? | Positive Forms | Negative Forms |
| One | Monarchy | Tyranny |
| Few | Aristocracy | Oligarchy |
| Many | Polity | Democracy |
For more information about Aristotle’s six types of governments, go to http://www.politicalsciencenotes.com/articles/classification.government-sccording-aristotle/308.
From this classification formulated by Aristotle, comparative political scientists would later on provide several other government typologies.
Beyond Walls 4.1 Go Online
Go online and look for five countries that best suit each classification of governments in this table.
What Have I Learned So Far?
1.What is the significance of political institutions in society? Describe your answer by providing examples.
2.Differentiate the positive and the negative forms of governments according to Aristotle from one another.
Now that you have learned the basics, how different then is a state from a government? There are several key differences according to Heywood (2013):
Table 4.3 Key Distinctions between State and Government
| State | Government | |
| Scope | A more extensive entity; it encompasses all institutions and citizens | An element/part of the state; it is the means through which state authority is exercised |
| Duration | Continuing and permanent body of a political system | Temporary and can be changed from time to time |
| Representation | Represents the interest of society where the common good is achieved | Represents the interests of those in power at a given period |
| Others | Exercises impersonal authority; its personnel are trained in bureaucratic ways | The “government of the day” is ideologically biased |
How about a nation? How different is it from a state and from a government?
If a state is a political community bound by political obligations, a nation is a group of people bound together by commonalities in language, history, traditions, and religion. In this case, a nation is not just cultural, but could be political as well—especially when the people share a common civic consciousness. Although not necessary, a nation can also be seen as psychological when people share identification, loyalty, or affection in the form of patriotism (Heywood 2013).
The integration of the state and the nation forms the nation-state. This political organization is widely recognized in the contemporary world. As an entity, its strength relies on the fusion of both the cultural and political aspects present in a state and in a nation, allowing for cultural cohesion and at the same time political unity. However, nation-states have been met with challenges, including, but not limited to, the growth of ethnic politics and globalization. How has globalization influenced the nation-state?
Big Idea
When culture is embedded in politics, a nation-state is produced. The Philippines is a nation-state because citizens share common ways of life in a defined political community.
Reflect Upon
Draw a symbol of a cultural belief and value system that you and the people in your community share. Your drawing should show what makes you feel that you belong to the Filipino nation. Afterward, provide a brief explanation of your drawing. Share your output with the class.
Globalization and the Nation-State
Globalization is considered to be one of the most important threats to the nation-state. But what is this phenomenon? What impact does it have on people’s lives and nation-states? Heywood (2013) illustrates the phenomenon of globalization as the process through which societies have become so embedded or interconnected that events and decisions in one part of the world have significant effects on the lives of people in the other part of the world. Transformations in production of goods and the flow of financial capital resources can be a result of the further integration of economies in the world economy. For instance, changes in domestic politics and economy of the Philippines can actually be caused by events happening in different countries. To illustrate this, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) integration may have caused developments in Philippine educational policies (e.g., the implementation of the K to 12 Basic Education Program), so that the movement of students within the member-countries will be “free-flowing” too. How and why does this happen? What are the characteristics of globalization as a phenomenon? Heywood (2013) enumerates its features.
Big Idea
The advancement in technology, communication, and transportation produces a borderless world where distance and territorial boundaries are becoming less important.
1.Declining relevance of geographical distance
2.Lessening significance of territorial boundaries
3.Deepening and broadening of political processes, such that the local, national, and global events constantly interact.
Globalization is an outcome of a growing interdependence among actors, activities, and processes all over the world. Several forms of globalization can be identified, of which Heywood (2013) listed three—economic, cultural, and political. The following table summarizes the key features of these forms of globalization and enumerates some examples.
Table 4.4 Forms of Globalization
| Form of Globalization | Features/Characteristics | Manifestations/Examples |
| Economic | All economies have been integrated in a global economy. |
• Internationalized production
• Financial capital flowing freely between countries
|
| Sociocultural | Information, commodities, and images from one part of the world make cultural differences between nations and individuals less significant. |
• McDonaldization or what George Ritzer (1993) called as rationalization that Max Weber found in bureaucracies extended to fast-food chains. This then leads to standardization of processes such as production.
• Information revolution
• Global brands penetrating the local scene
|
| Political | The importance of international organizations, transnational organizations, and nongovernmental organizations is being recognized. |
• Influence on domestic issues of organizations such as the United Nations, World Trade Organization, World Bank, Asian Development Bank, International Red Cross, and World Wide Fund for Nature
|
What Have I Learned So Far?
In what ways does globalization affect you as an individual? Write an essay on how globalization has created an impact on your day-to-day activities.
What are your views about the following illustrations? How do they present the concept of globalization? Do you agree with the representations depicted in these illustrations?
Illustration 1
Illustration 2
Source: http://travelstudies.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/globalization_by_guille3691-1-862x482.jpg
Reflect Upon
1.What are the advantages and disadvantages of globalization in the international community?
2.What is the impact of globalization on poor countries?
How does globalization pose a challenge to the existence of a state, if not the nation-state? How does globalization challenge the political continuity of the Philippines? Read the article in the next activity and assess how this phenomenon affects the Philippine society.
Beyond Walls 4.2 Read and Answer
Globalization can directly affect citizenship. It influences the individual’s perspectives, beliefs, and world view through technology and materials made available in the market. Read the article “Globalization and Citizenship” written by John Urry at http://jwsr.pitt.edu/ojs/index.php/jwsr/article/view/137/149 to further understand how globalization affects citizenship. Then reflect on the following questions:
1.How does globalization change the concept of citizenship?
2.Launch Google maps. Locate the streets of New York City in the United States of America through the app’s street view feature. What are your impressions seeing another place only through the use of technology?
3.How does globalization affect the Filipino identity?
Beyond Walls 4.3 Apply It in Real Life
You are a Filipino painter living in the USA. You have been requested by the Filipino community in your city to produce a painting to be displayed during the celebration of the Month of Overseas Filipinos and International Migrants Day. Your painting must show the connection between the USA and the Philippines in the age globalization. The head of the Filipino community will evaluate your artwork based on how the theme was illustrated, the mixture of design elements, and the ability to communicate a message through visual art.
Extend Your Knowledge
Check the following articles for further understanding of the interrelationship among states, nations, and globalization.
Essential Learning
In ordinary language, the terms nation, state, and government are used interchangeably. In this module, you have seen how different these concepts are from one another. The Philippines is both a state and a nation. As a state, it is composed of elements such as people, territory, government, and sovereignty. As a nation, the Philippines is composed of individuals who share certain commonalities, such as language, identity, tradition, or history; and who share a feeling of unity and belongingness with that imagined community. Globalization as a phenomenon may pose threats to the existence of the Philippine nation-state, or at least, for those who are skeptic about it.