CHAPTER IV: THE GLOBAL INTERSTATE SYSTEM

LESSON 13: GLOBAL GOVERNANCE IN THE 21ST CENTURY

LESSON OBJECTIVE:
At the end of this lesson, you shall be able to:
 Identify the challenges of global governance in the twenty-first century

ENGAGE
INTRODUCTION

The state has traditionally been the subject of most interest to scholars of global politics
because it is viewed as the institution that sets warfare and economic policies of a country. The
state is also a political unit that has authority over its own affairs. Its borders are recognized by
other countries. Whoever is in charge of the borders has the right to determine what is going to
happen in their country. The Treaty of Westphalia of 1648 established the notion of the nation-
state and the idea of state sovereignty.
EXPLORE
A state is a political system that has sovereignty over a population in a particular territory,
based on the recognized right to self-determination. It is one of the most basic units of study in
comparative politics.

The Four Characteristics of a State

 Territory – state operate within a fixed marked by borders and control the movement of
people, money, and goods across those borders.
 Sovereignty – states have sovereignty over the territory, its people, and its resources,
meaning that they have the sole authority to impose laws and taxes.
 Independence – states are legally and politically independent, and operate the system of
government that administers the territory.
 Legitimacy – states are normally recognized both by their residents and by other states as
having jurisdiction within their territory.

With globalization, some scholars suggest a decrease in power of the state and the other
actors are becoming more powerful. These actors include multinational corporations and global
civil society organizations.

Is the idea of a nation-state outdated in the contemporary world? If so, what is it that we need to
think about as “replacements”?

FACTORS BEHIND THE EMERGENCE OF GLOBAL GOVERNANCE

1. Declining power of the nation-states

2. The vast flow of all sorts of things that run into and
often right through the borders of nation-states
 It is difficult, if not impossible, for a nation-
state to stop such flow and in any case, it is
likely that such action would be politically
unpopular and bring much negative
reaction to the nation-state involved I such
an effort. This could involve the flow of digital information of all sorts through the
Internet.
3. There is mass migration of people and their entry, often illegally, into various nation-states.
 The flow of criminal elements, as well as their products (drugs, laundered money,
those bought and sold in sex trafficking, etc.), is a strong factor in the call for global
governance. In these cases and others, there is a need for some degree of order,
some sort of effective authority, and at least some potential for the improvement of
human life.
4. Horrendous events within nation-states themselves either incite and carry out, or are unable
to control.
5. Global problems that a single nation-state cannot hope to tackle on their own.
 Global financial crises and panic that sweep the world periodically, which nations
are often unable to deal with on their own
EVALUATE
ACTIVITY 13

NAME: ____________________________ DATE: __________________

SECTION/YEAR: ___________________ SCORE: _________________

ESSAY. Answer the question in not less than ten(10) sentences.

Why is there a need for global governance in the 21st century? Describe it in relation to the on-
going problems posed by COVID 19.
LESSON 14: EFFECTS OF GLOBALIZATION TO GOVERNMENTS AND
RELEVANCE OF THE STATE AMID GLOBALIZATION

LESSON OBJECTIVES:
At the end of this lesson, you shall be able to:
 Familiarize with the effects of globalization on governments
 Explain the relevance of the state amid globalization.

ENGAGE
INTRODUCTION

One of the key aspects of state sovereignty is the government. It is a group of people who
have the ultimate authority to act on behalf of a state. Each state has its own right to self-
determination and that other country should not intervene in the affairs of the state unless there are
extraordinary reasons to do so. Other countries must recognize sovereignty or the right to govern
one’s own territorial borders. Each state is autonomous unto itself and responsible within its own
system of government to those who are governed. The decisions, the conflict, and the resolution
of that conflict are done through the institutions of government established and codified in that
particular state, whether or not through elections.

A civil society within a state can act as a counterweight or as a supplement to government.

Civil society includes the private economy, educational institutions, churches, hospitals, fraternal
organizations, and other non-profit organizations

There have been several challenges to the government and ultimately, to state autonomy.
These challenges can be divided into four: traditional challenges, challenges from national or
identity movements, global economics, and global social movements.
EXPLORE
TRADITIONAL CHALLENGES

External intervention can generally be described invasion by other countries. These days,
we can see external intervention in other forms. From being described as invasion to intervention
in the autonomy of the state. This is a case of how there might be a national identity within a
country that is assisted by a neighboring country. Internal political challenges can also happen.
There are also regional organizations challenging state autonomy.

CHALLENGES FROM NATIONAL OR IDENTITY MOVEMENTS

It is important to know that a nation has cultural identity that people attached to, while a
state is a definite entity due to its specific borders. However, different people with different cultural
identities or nationalities can live in different states.

GLOBAL ECONOMICS

Global economy demands the states to conform to the rules of free-market capitalism.

Neoliberal economics or neoliberal capitalism focuses on free trade and dismantling trade
barriers. It made sure that governments did not impose restrictive regulations on corporate
presence, as well as on the free flow of capital and jobs. Free trade was seen as the ideal or
normative belief, that is, the best economy is one where is free trade everywhere. Laws and
standards that would interfere with the flow of capital in a particular country, including
environmental regulations, were deemed to discourage economic growth. Neoliberal economics is
seen as a threat, in general, because a state cannot protect its own economic interest as a sovereign
state.

GLOBAL SOCIAL MOVEMENTS

Social movements are movements of people that are spontaneous or that emerge through
enormous grassroots organization. Most of the time, they are not seen as a threat but they definitely
challenge state sovereignty. These social movements are transnational movements hich means they
occur across countries and across borders. Therefore, states have less control over them.

THE RELEVANCE OF THE STATE AMID GLOBALIZATION

What is a state? The state is a distinctive political community with its own set of rules and
practices and that is more or less separate from other communities. It has four elements: people,
territory, government, and sovereignty.

PEOPLE

The first element of a state is a permanent population. It does not refer to a nomadic people
that move from one place to another in an indefinite time. It is the permanent presence in one
location

TERRITORY

It has clear boundaries. It is effectively controlled by a political entity.

GOVERNMENT

It regulates relations among its own people and other states. The state is a formally
constituted sovereign political structure encompassing people, territory and its institutions on the
one hand, and maintaining its autonomy from other states on the other hand.

SOVEREIGNTY

Sovereignty, in political theory, the ultimate overseer, or authority, in the decision-aking

process of the state and in the maintenance of order.

What is the difference between nation and state? What is a nation-state?

NATION

It refers to a people rather than any kind of formal territorial boundaries or institution. It is
a collective identity grounded on a notion of share history and culture.
STATE

It refers to a government, its territory and its internal and external sovereignty. It is a
formalized institution.

NATION-STATE

It is a territorially bounded sovereign institution that governs individuals sharing a

collective history, identity, and culture.

Is the state still relevant amid globalization? The state still retains some power in the face
of globalization. They vary greatly in their efficacy in globalization. The rumors of the demise of
the nation-states are greatly exaggerated. The rule of the state is still enduring and even increasing
in advanced industrial societies.

The role of the state is enduring – and even increasing –in advanced industrial societies.
The state responds to four major sources of collective insecurity: terrorism; economic
globalization, leading to problems such as outsourcing and pressures toward downsizing, as well
as the current economic crisis; threat to national identity due to immigration; and the spread of
global diseases such as COVID-19.

The state does not only respond to these threats, but may also exaggerate or create dangers,
thereby making its citizens more insecure.

Globalization could be a threat and constraint to nation-state but it can also be an opportunity for
the nation-state.
EVALUATE
ACTIVITY 14
NAME: ____________________________ DATE: __________________
SECTION/YEAR: ___________________ SCORE: _________________

ESSAY. Answer the question in not less than ten(10) sentences.

What are the challenges posed by globalization to a nation-state?

LESSON 15: INSTITUTIONS THAT GOVERN INTERNATIONAL
RELATIONS

LESSON OBJECTIVES:
At the end of this lesson, you shall be able to:
 Identify the institutions that govern international relations
 Identify the roles and functions of the United Nations, NATO and the ASEAN
 Develop an appreciation to the ASEAN

ENGAGE
INTRODUCTION

There are several international organizations that governments of countries around the
world and individual participate in. these include the United Nations, the International court of
Justice, NAFTA, and NATO. There are also non-governmental organizations promoting social and
economic growth.

EXPLORE
PEACE TREATISE AND MILITARY ALLIANCES: THE UN AND NATO

THE UNITED NATIONS

The term “United Nations” was coined by former U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt in
1942. Its operations began on October 24, 1945. It started with 50 representatives from different
countries. Generally, it functions in four areas: military issues, economic issues, environmental
issues, and human protection. It is made up of close to 200 countries from around the world, 193
member states to be exact, with the Republic of South Sudan as its last member.

The UN, with its headquarters in New York City, was designed to be a place where
countries could come and discuss their issues without resorting to violence and war, which had
plagued our planet for several years in the past. It is one of the leading political organizations in
the world where nation-states meet and deliberate.

The General Assembly is the gathering of all of these countries. It is held in an auditorium
where speeches are given. Representatives from different member states can vote on issues. As the
main deliberative body, it provides a forum for member states to express their views and reach a
consensus. Maintaining peace and building friendships is the number one goal of the UN, as well
as providing a forum where countries could gather to discuss global issues.

Maintaining international peace and security became the central mission of the UN after
the war. Up to this day, the UN is the major force in governing interstate relations. According to
the UN, peace and security are maintained by working to prevent conflict; helping parties in
conflict make peace; peacekeeping and creating the conditions to allow peace to hold and flourish.

The UN also has what is known as the Security Council. This group of countries decides
what to do when two or more countries are waging war or are on the verge of fighting. There are
five permanent members of the UN Security Council – the United States, Britain, Russia, China,
and France. In addition to the five members, 10additional countries join the permanent members
for two-year terms, making a total of 15 countries. The Security Council tries to be the arbiter in
ceasefires between two sides. They can pass sanctions like block trade with another country as a
punishment. They can send troops or observers and, if worst comes to worst, they can use military
force.

THE UN BRANCHES AND PROGRAMS

The UN is not all about fights. It has a program called UNICEF or the United Nations
Children’s Emergency Fund. The primary goal is to help children around the world. They collect
funds to distribute emergency relief from famine and poverty and diseases. It also provides
education programs in areas where there are no schools. While UNICEF is part of the United
Nations, they operate semi-independently and rely on fundraising.

In terms of economic issues, the main focus of the UN is the reduction of global inequality.
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) cover a range of concerns for the improvement of all
aspects of life. According to the UN, sustainable development encompasses economic prosperity,
social well-being, and environmental protection. Since the Millennium Developments Goals
(MDGs) did not end poverty for all people, the UN’s post-2015 sustainable development agenda
showcases the vision of the organization when it comes to broader issues such as climate change,
disaster risk reduction, and gender equality.

Environmental issues, such as pollution and hazardous wastes, are addressed through
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). The increasing rate of greenhouse gas
emissions, rising sea level, and occurrence of extreme weather patterns are the effects of climate
change. As a response, the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) took efforts
that can mitigate climate change like assessment of climate science, facilitation of climate
agreements, and giving assistance to countries to reduce emissions.

The UN also has the International Court of Justice (ICJ), usually referred to as the World
Court. It is located in the Netherlands in a town called the Hague. This is where countries can settle
disputes in a court of law, as well as a place where war criminals and rulers who have done terrible
things to their people can be put to trial for their crimes. Aside from this, there are also a variety
of international courts and tribunals created by the UN such as the International Criminal Court
(ICC) and the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea.

Finally, the UN promotes and protects human right through different organizations and
mechanisms. Since 1948, human rights have been brought into the realm of international law. This
is reflected in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. A variety of UN-sponsored human right
treaties and agreements have been done for human protections. Other mechanisms include the
Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the Human Right Council,
human rights treaty bodies, the UN Development Group’s Human Rights Mainstreaming
Mechanisms (UNDG-HRM), and the Special Advisers on the Prevention of Genocide and
Responsibility of Protect. There are also legal instruments that help the organization like the
International Bill of Human Rights which consists of three legal documents: the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the
International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights.

THE NORTH ATLANTIC TREATY ORGANIZATION

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization or NATO is a defensive treaty or a military alliance
between the United States, Canada, and 25 European countries. This treaty and international
organization is based on the idea of collective security. The countries in this organization basically
agreed to combine their militaries and announce to the world that if a country messes with one of
its members, the other countries will come to their defense. NATO was created after the Second
World War, mostly during the beginning of the Cold War.

NATO’s purpose is to guarantee the freedom and security of its members through political
and military means.

 POLITICAL – NATO promotes democratic values and enables members to

consult and cooperate on defense and security-related issues to solve problems,
build trust and, in the long run, prevent conflict.
 MILITARY – NATO is committed to the peaceful resolution of disputes. If
diplomatic efforts fail, it has the military power to undertake crisis-management
operations. These are carried out under the collective defense clause of NATO’s
founding treaty – Article 5 of the Washington Treaty or under a United Nations
mandate, alone or in cooperation with other countries and international
organizations.

NON-GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATIONS (NGOs)

A non-governmental organization (NGO) is a non-profit, citizen-based group that

functions independently of government. NGOs, sometimes called civil societies, are organized on
community, national and international levels to serve specific social or political purposes, and are
cooperative, rather than commercial, in nature. NGOs are not tied to any country. This allows them
to operate freely throughout the world. They provide emergency relief such as food, water, and
medical supplies for those whose homes or towns have been destroyed by disaster or war. They
also monitor the treatment of prisoner of wars and go to conflicts to make sure that no war crimes
are taking place.

While the term “NGO” has various interpretations, it is general accepted to include private
organizations that operate without government control and that are non-profit and non-criminal.
Other definitions further clarify NGOs s associations that are non-religious and non-military. Some
NGOs rely primarily on volunteers, while others support a paid staff. Examples of NGOs include
those that support human rights, advocate for improved health or encourage political participation.
Red Cross (Red Crescent in Muslim Countries) is considered as a non-government
organization (NGO). It began as an organization to help those who were wounded during wars.
The big Red Cross worn by NGOs is the identification that they are not soldiers. Part of why it is
important for the Red Cross to be an NGO is that they remain neutral and would help the wounded
from both sides of war. Since they are neutral, governments are more likely to let them come into
their countries to help.

There are two broad groups of NGOs are identified by the World Bank: Operational NGOs
and Advocacy NGOs. Operational NGOs are focused on development project while Advocacy
NGOs are organized to promote particular causes. But there are certain NGOs that may fall under
both categories simultaneously.

As non-profits, NGOs rely on a variety of sources for funding, including: membership

dues, private donations, the sale of goods and services, and grant. Despite their independence from
government, some NGOs rely significantly on government funding. Large NGOs may have
budgets in the millions or billions of dollars.

TYPES OF NGOs

 BINGO: business-friendly international NGO (ex. Red Cross/Red Crescent)

 ENGO: environmental NGO (ex. Greenpeace and World Wildlife Fund)
 GONGO: government-organized non-governmental organization (ex. International Union
for Conservation of Nature)
 INGO: international NGO (ex. Oxfam)
 QUANGO: quasi-autonomous NGO (ex. International Organization for Standardization
[ISO])

GLOBAL ECONOMIC ASSOCIATIONS: THE WTO AND NAFTA

THE WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION

The World Trade Organization (WTO) is made up of 162 countries around the world and
was created with the goal of increasing free trade. It deals with the rules of trade between nations.
Countries, therefore, can buy and sell goods from one another without placing taxes on imports or
tariffs. In addition, tariffs are used to protect businesses and companies inside their country. Its
goal is to ensure that trade flows as smoothly and predictably as possible

NORTH AMERICAN FREE TRADE AGREEMENT

This is an economic treaty between the United States, Canada, and Mexico in which the
three countries trade freely without taxing each other.

Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is a regional grouping that promotes
economic, political, and security cooperation among its ten members: Brunei, Cambodia,
Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. ASEAN
countries have a total population of 650 million people and a combined gross domestic product
(GDP) of $2.8 trillion. The group has played a central role in Asian economic integration,
spearheading negotiations among Asia-Pacific nations to form one of the world’s largest free trade
blocs and signing six free trade agreements with other regional economies.

Yet experts say ASEAN’s impact is limited by a lack of strategic vision, diverging
priorities among member states, and weak leadership. The bloc’s biggest challenge, they say, is
developing a unified approach to China, particularly in response to Beijing’s claims in the South
China Sea, which overlap with claims of several ASEAN members.

How ASEAN Works

ASEAN is headed by a chair—a position that rotates annually among member states—and
is assisted by a secretariat based in Jakarta, Indonesia. Important decisions are usually reached
through consultation and consensus guided by the principles of noninterference in internal affairs
and peaceful resolution of conflicts. Some experts see this approach to decision-making as a chief
drawback for the organization. “These norms of consensus and noninterference have increasingly
become outdated, and they have hindered ASEAN’s influence on issues ranging from dealing with
China and crises in particular ASEAN states,” says CFR’s Joshua Kurlantzick.

Other experts say ASEAN has contributed to regional stability by developing much-needed
norms and fostering a neutral environment to address shared challenges. “In Asia, talking and
relationship building is half the challenge to solving problems,” Murray Hiebert, a senior associate
of the Southeast Asia Program at the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International
Studies (CSIS), told CFR.

Formed in 1967, ASEAN united Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and
Thailand, which sought to create a common front against the spread of communism and promote
political, economic, and social stability amid rising tensions in the Asia-Pacific. In 1976, the
members signed the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia, which emphasizes mutual
respect and non-interference in other countries’ affairs.

Membership doubled by the end of the 1990s. The resolution of Cambodia’s civil war in
1991, the end of the Cold War, and the normalization of relations between the United States and
Vietnam in 1995 brought relative peace to mainland Southeast Asia, paving the way for more
states to join ASEAN. With the addition of Brunei (1984), Vietnam (1995), Laos and Myanmar
(1997), and Cambodia (1999), the group started to launch initiatives to boost regionalism. The
members signed a treaty in 1995, for example, to refrain from developing, acquiring, or possessing
nuclear weapons.

Faced with the 1997 Asian financial crisis, which started in Thailand, ASEAN members
pushed to further integrate their economies. The Chiang Mai Initiative [PDF], for instance, was a
currency swap arrangement first initiated in 2000 between ASEAN members, China, Japan, and
South Korea to provide financial support to one another and fight currency speculation.

In 2007, the ten members adopted the ASEAN Charter [PDF], a constitutional document
that provided the grouping with legal status and an institutional framework. The charter enshrines
core principles and delineates requirements for membership. (East Timor submitted an application
for membership in 2011 but not all members back its accession.) The charter laid out a blueprint
for a community made up of three branches: the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC), the
ASEAN Political-Security Community, and the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community.
Economic Progress

ASEAN has made notable progress toward economic integration and free trade in the region. In
1992, members created the ASEAN Free Trade Area with the goals of creating a single market,
increasing intra-ASEAN trade and investments, and attracting foreign investment. Intra-ASEAN
trade as a share of the bloc’s overall trade grew from about 19 percent [PDF] in 1993 to 23 percent
[PDF] in 2017. Across the grouping, more than 90 percent of goods are traded with no tariffs. The
bloc has prioritized eleven sectors for integration, including electronics, automotives, rubber-based
products, textiles and apparels, agro-based products, and tourism.

Despite the progress, some of the region’s most important industries are not covered by
preferential trade measures, and differences in income among members could make economic
integration challenging. Some experts see the AEC, through which ASEAN defines its trade goals,
as a potential catalyst for further economic integration.

In November 2020, ASEAN members joined Australia, China, Japan, New Zealand, and
South Korea in signing the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), a free trade
agreement they had been negotiating since 2012. Although the RCEP doesn’t cut tariffs drastically,
it covers more of the world’s population—30 percent—than any other trade bloc. It will also help
boost economic integration between Northeast and Southeast Asia. India, which was initially
involved in negotiations, decided in 2019 that it would not join. ASEAN is also party to six free
trade agreements with countries outside of the grouping.

Regional Security Challenges

Security challenges include maritime disputes, such as in the South China Sea, human
trafficking, narcotics trafficking, refugee flows, natural disasters, food insecurity, and terrorism
and insurgencies. While the vast majority of issues are dealt with outside of ASEAN, including
bilaterally or with outside moderation, there are several ASEAN-led forums through which
regional issues are discussed:
ASEAN Regional Forum. Launched in 1993, the twenty-seven-member multilateral
grouping was developed to facilitate regional confidence-building and preventive diplomacy on
political and security issues. The forum represents a wide array of voices—including ASEAN, its
dialogue partners, North Korea, and Pakistan, among others—yet it is often mired in geopolitical
disputes that limit its effectiveness.

ASEAN Plus Three. The consultative group, which was initiated in 1997, brings together
ASEAN’s ten members, China, Japan, and South Korea.

ASEAN Plus Six. This group consists of ASEAN’s ten members plus Australia, China,
India, Japan, New Zealand, and South Korea. It played a central role in pushing forward the RCEP.

East Asia Summit. First held in 2005, the summit seeks to promote security and prosperity
and is often attended by the heads of state of ASEAN members, Australia, China, India, Japan,
New Zealand, Russia, South Korea, and the United States. “The summit remains the only
opportunity for the president of the United States to sit down and collectively engage his Asia-
Pacific counterparts on the main political and security issues of the day,” wrote the U.S. Institute
of Peace’s Vikram Singh and the Brookings Institution’s Lindsey Ford. However, U.S. President
Donald J. Trump has never attended an East Asia Summit.

Amid the coronavirus pandemic and subsequent economic crisis in 2020, ASEAN
countries set up several bodies and mechanisms to procure medical supplies, distribute a COVID-
19 vaccine, coordinate economic recovery plans, and facilitate the safe resumption of regional
travel.

Despite these diplomatic forums, disagreements over security issues continue to challenge
ASEAN’s unity. The group’s most glaring issue has been finding a joint response to the rise of
China. “China’s re-emergence as the major power in the East Asia region is not only likely to
transform Southeast Asia’s relations with China, but also perhaps the internal relations of ASEAN
itself,” wrote Mark Beeson, an Australian professor who specializes in the region, in 2016.

Maritime disputes in the South China Sea have been among the biggest irritants. Brunei,
Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Vietnam claim features in waters contested with China.
For those countries, China’s moves to reclaim land and build artificial islands are seen as violations
of their national sovereignty. In response, some have invested in modernizing their militaries. For
other ASEAN members, tensions in the South China Sea are geographically distant and not a
priority. A few, such as Cambodia, even tend to support China’s claims. In 2002, ASEAN and
China signed the nonbinding Declaration of Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea. Efforts to
make it a legally binding code of conduct have regained momentum in recent years, with Beijing
voicing support for reaching an agreement by 2022.

The United States, which has a strong interest in preventing China from controlling the
South China Sea, has responded by continuing military cooperation with ASEAN members,
including the Philippines and Vietnam, and increasing its maritime presence to enforce freedom
of navigation in international waters.

ASEAN members have been divided over their ties to China and to the United States. The
region is in need of investment, trade, and infrastructure development, and China has moved to fill
these needs. But ASEAN members are anxious about becoming economically dependent on China;
in turn, these nations “look to the United States to hedge,” says CSIS’s Hiebert.

U.S.-ASEAN Relations

The United States is ASEAN’s fourth-largest trading partner in terms of goods, trailing
China, the European Union, and Japan. Merchandise trade between the two sides reached more
than $292 billion in 2019. The United States has launched subregional and bilateral initiatives to
boost ties, including the Lower Mekong Initiative, which aims to deepen cooperation between the
United States and ASEAN members Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam on issues
related to the environment, health, education, and infrastructure development. Four ASEAN
members—Brunei, Malaysia, Singapore, and Vietnam—signed the Comprehensive and
Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, formerly known as the TPP, a free trade
agreement that the United States helped negotiate. However, Washington’s withdrawal from the
TPP shortly after Trump took office in 2017 set back broader U.S. efforts to demonstrate
commitment to the region’s growing trade integration. The United States is not part of the RCEP
trade deal.

The Barack Obama administration, as part of its so-called “pivot” or “rebalance” to Asia,
increased U.S. participation in activities with ASEAN. It sent senior officials, including President
Obama, to ASEAN summits, named the first resident ambassador to ASEAN, joined the Treaty of
Amity and Cooperation, and established an annual U.S.-ASEAN summit. The United States and
ASEAN elevated their relationship to a strategic partnership in November 2015, and the following
year they held the first U.S.-ASEAN leaders’ summit.

The Trump administration has continued to send high-ranking officials on visits to

Southeast Asia, including the vice president and the secretaries of state and defense. In his first
year in office, Trump attended the bloc’s biannual summit, but he has not attended since.

A Path Forward

ASEAN brings together countries with significantly different economies and political
systems. Singapore boasts the highest GDP per capita among the group’s members at more than
$65,000 based on 2019 World Bank figures; Myanmar’s is the lowest at around $1,400. The
members’ political systems include democracies, authoritarian states, and hybrid regimes.
Demographics differ across the region, too, with many religious and ethnic groups represented.
ASEAN’s geography includes archipelagos and continental land masses with low plains and
mountainous terrain.

Given such diversity among its members, the bloc remains divided over how to address
many issues, including China’s claims in the South China Sea, human rights abuses, including
ethnic cleansing against the Rohingya minority in Myanmar, and political repression in member
states such as Cambodia.

Some experts have suggested that ASEAN reimagine its framework and decision-making
practices. In 2012, CFR’s Kurlantzick recommended substantive changes to ASEAN that could
help it lead economic and political integration efforts in Asia. These include strengthening its
secretariat and empowering a high-profile secretary-general to speak on its behalf, abandoning
consensus decision-making, and demonstrating that ASEAN can build its own free trade area.
Others, such as CSIS’s Hiebert, see the organization thriving under a coalition-of-the-willing
format, in which some of the group’s members could decide to act on certain issues, such as joint
maritime patrol initiatives, and others could join later.

https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/what-asean
EVALUATE
ACTIVITY 15

NAME: ____________________________ DATE: __________________

SECTION/YEAR: ___________________ SCORE: _________________

ESSAY. Answer the question in not less than ten(10) sentences.

Is the nation-state still relevant in the globalized world? How?

LESSON 16: GLOBALIZATION AND GLOBALISM, AND
INFORMATIONALISM

LESSON OBJECTIVES:
At the end of this lesson, you shall be able to:
 Differentiate internationalism from globalism
 Correlate globalization globalism and informationalism
 Contrast globalization and regionalization

ENGAGE
GLOBALIZATION AND GLOBALISM

Globalization would be better described as the increase or decline in the degree of

globalism. Globalism refers to the network of connections that transcends distances of different
countries in the world. In other words, the links among countries and people are better associated
with globalism while the speed in which they become linked with one another is globalization.

The world was already connected. Through the conquests of different empires, such as
those of the Romans, many parts of the world became under one rule. Today, however, the
contemporary world is characterized by being connected through the Internet, modern
transportation, and advanced communication technologies. The societies in the world have always
been connected; what makes the contemporary world different from the past is the type and speed
of connection that people and societies experience.

We can also differentiate globalism and globalization in term of its “thickness”. Globalism
is thin. As it becomes thicker, globalization happens. This means that being able to connect
countries in the world through a more dynamic and faster way is globalization.

The four distinct dimensions of globalism: economic, military, environmental, and social.
For economic globalism, it would only take a few seconds or minutes to sell, buy and exchange
products and services with other people even if they are a thousand miles away from you.

The three other dimensions also become thicker and faster as globalization intensifies. The
enormous speed of potential conflict and threat of nuclear war is an example of military globalism.
In terms of environmental globalism, global warming continues to accelerate. The last dimension,
social and cultural globalism, involves movements of ideas, information, images, and of people
who carry ideas and information with them.

EXPLORE
INFORMATIONALISM

Globalism is tied to the notion of network. With the advent of modern mass
communication, computers. And social networking sites, it seems that the connections made
through the exchange of information creates a new kind of network in this contemporary world.
Nevertheless, people are connected with one another whether as a small community of as a large
country.

The question now is about the type of connection that exists and begins to increase on the
contemporary world. The answer lies on the growth of information as the binding force among
people. Things, and places around the globe. This technological paradigm, associated with
computer science and modern telecommunication, that replaces industrialism is called
informationalism. Exchanging information and knowledge, which is clearly immaterial goods,
becomes central in the contemporary world. This is due to the three of the most cutting-edge
aspects of the social world in general and globalization in particular, technology, media, and the
Internet.

A notable example of technological advancement is the founding of Federal Express

(FedEx) in the 1970s. It makes use of computer technology in its deliveries. Computer technology
is used to check our health through the invention of magnetic resonance imaging (MRIs),
ultrasound, and CT or CAT scans. Space-based technologies were also made possible through the
use of computers. The launching of satellites for military surveillance, the use of global positioning
system (GPS), and the operation of global navigation systems (GNS) are some remarkable
example.

In the New Media Age, the importance lies in the medium, the way in which the message
is transmitted, not necessarily in the content presented through the medium. This means that
televisions, radios, and newspapers have been shaping individual subjectivity and culture, not only
locally but globally.

The Internet is mark of the contemporary world. Having a computer today in our homes,
our schools, our workplaces, and accessing the Internet through our personal cellphones allow us
to be connected with the rest of the world. We can gain information by accessing different
websites, such as Facebook and Wikipedia, through the Internet. In the same manner, the
information about ourselves that we share is also exposed.

While globalization allowed the expansion of information, access to modern technologies

is not a universal matter that is available to every person around the world. The Internet and other
technologies are limited are limited by certain barriers. These barriers include lack of electricity,
illiteracy, weak financial systems, and government regulations.
EVALUATE

ACTIVITY 16

NAME: ____________________________ DATE: __________________

SECTION/YEAR: ___________________ SCORE: _________________

ESSAY. Answer the question in not less than ten(10) sentences.

What is the difference between globalization and globalism?

LESSON 17: GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP

LESSON OBJECTIVES:
At the end of this lesson, you shall be able to:
 Articulate a personal definition of global citizenship.
 Appreciate the ethical obligations of global citizenship

ENGAGE
Citizenship is associated with rights and obligations, for instance, the right to vote and the
obligation to pay taxes. Both rights and obligations link the individual to the state. It also has to
do with our attitudes. We need to be willing to engage and to spend time and effort to the
community of which we feel part of.

EXPLORE
How, then, can the idea of citizenship be transferred to the global level?

Global citizenship as a moral and ethical disposition that can guide the understanding of
individuals or groups of local and global contexts, and remind them of their relative responsibilities
within various communities.

Global citizenship does not entail a single attitude and a particular value with globalization.
We must remember that globalization is not a single phenomenon; rather, there are many
globalizations. While some need to be resisted, others are welcomed and should be encouraged.
They are bound to be multiple futures for multiple globalizations. The so-called bottom billion
lacks infrastructures and has been disenfranchised. The opponents of globalization blame either
Westernization or global capitalism. Thus, the enemies resist globalization, especially when it
comes to global economy and global governance.

There are three approaches to global economic resistance. Trade protectionism involves
the systematic government intervention in foreign trade through tariffs and non-tariffs barriers in
order to encourage domestic producers and deter their foreign competitors. Trade protectionism is
still popular since it shields the domestic economy from systematic shocks.
Fair trade aims at a more moral and equitable global economic system in which, for
instance, price is not set by the market; instead, it is negotiated transparently by both producers
and consumers. Fair trade emerged as a counter to neoliberal “free trade” principles.

The third form of resistance to economic globalization relates to helping the bottom billion.
Increasing aid is only one of the many measures that are required. International norms and
standards can be adapted to the needs of the bottom billion. The reduction of trade barriers would
also reduce the economic marginalization of these people and their nations.

When it comes to dealing with political globalization, increased accountability and

transparency are the key issues. All political organizations, at different levels, should be more
accountable for their actions because they are now surrounded by an “ocean of opacity”. Increased
transparency has been aided by various mechanisms such as transnational justice system,
international tribunals, civil society, and particularly the Transparency International.

Like globalization, resistance to globalization is multiple, complex, contradictory, and

ambiguous. This movement also has the potential to emerge as the new public sphere, which may
uphold progressive values such as autonomy, democracy, peace, ecological sustainability, and
social justice. These forces of resistance are themselves products of globalization and can be seen
as globalization from below. The impetus for such a movement comes from individuals, groups,
and organizations which are oppressed by globalization from above. They [globalization from
above] seek a more democratic process of globalization. However, globalization from below also
involves less visible, more right-wing elements, such as the America First Party and the Taliban.

Given that there is no world government, the idea of global citizenship demands the
creation of rights and obligations. Moreover, fulfilling the promises of globalization and the
solution to the problems of the contemporary world does not lie on single entity or individual, but
on citizens, the community, and the different organizations in societies. Ultimately, reforms in
global governance are required to allow world citizens to take more part directly in all aspects of
human life at the global level.
EVALUATE

ACTIVITY 17

NAME: ____________________________ DATE: __________________

SECTION/YEAR: ___________________ SCORE: _________________

ESSAY. Answer the question in not less than ten(10) sentences.

How can you become a Global Citizen?