The Global Interstate System:

The Making of the World

NATIONAL UNIVERSITY
LEARNING OBJECTIVES

• Enumerate the attributes of modern state

system.
• Identify and distinguish the elements of
state.
• Evaluate the theories of state origins.
Attributes of the Modern
Global System
• (1)self-governing countries or states
• (2) interaction between and among states
primarily through diplomacy
• (3) the presence of International
Organizations to facilitate interactions
• (4) International organizations not only as
facilitator of interactions but a dynamic
independent actor in the global system
What is state?

• State is a community of person, more or

less numerous, permanently occupying a
definite portion of territory, completely
free from external control and
possessing an organized government to
which the great body of inhabitants render
habitual independence (Aruego,1979).
What is state?

• State according to Dannug and

Campanilla (2003), refers to a community
of persons permanently occupying a
definite portion of territory,
independent from external control, and
possessing an organized government
to which a great body of inhabitants
renders habitual obedience.
International actors of
global governance
STATE
People organized for law within a definite territory,
possessing both internal and external sovereignty.
A political unit in charge of the conduct of its own
affairs.

NOTE: Federated States (ex. US States, Flanders

and Wallonia) are not included, since they don't
have external sovereignty.
For an entity to be called a state, it
must have the following elements:
For an entity to be called a
state, it must have the following
elements:

• There must be people residing

within the state, which should be
sufficiently numerous to be
governed and to be self-sufficient.
• There must be people to govern,
serve, and defend.
For an entity to be called a
state, it must have the following
elements:

Government
- A political organization
through which the will or
law of the state is expressed
and administered.
Regardless of the forms of government,
you can find the common functions of
any government.

Rule-making
• is the function of the government to make
laws, policies, ordinances or even
constitutions.
• delegated to the legislative body or organ of
the state it could be congress, parliament, or
a political party/ruling party/communist party.
These rules are really necessary to tell us
what is legal and what is not.
Regardless of the forms of government,
you can find the common functions of
any government.

Rule execution
• it means the enforcement of the law mostly this
function is delegated to the executive department
or organ of the government especially to the most
visible officials to any country
• i.e. President, Prime Minister, Monarch,
Minister-President, Premier and others
Regardless of the forms of government,
you can find the common functions of
any government.

Rule adjudication
• it means the application and
interpretation of rules.
• Mostly this is delegated to the judiciary,
particularly Supreme Court, in case of the
Philippines and other democratic countries.
For an entity to be called a
state, it must have the following
elements:

• A definite territory on
which the people can
reside.
• A territory of a state is
composed of land, water
and air.
For an entity to be called a
state, it must have the following
elements:

Sovereignty
- The inherent power of the state to impose
its will on its people , free from outside
control (but limited by international law).
2 aspects:
• Internal – unhindered power of the
state to rule its people
• External – freedom from foreign rule
or control
Article II Section 1
1987 Philippine Constitution

"the Philippines is a democratic

and republican state.
Sovereignty resides in the
people and all government
authority emanates from them."
Qualities of a Sovereign State

• Space or territory which has internationally

recognized boundaries
• People who live there on an ongoing basis.
• Regulations governing foreign and
domestic trade
• The ability to issue legal tender that is
recognized across boundaries (or enter into
monetary unions)
Qualities of a Sovereign State

• An internationally recognized government

which provides public services and police
power and has the right to make treaties,
wage war, and take other actions on behalf of
its people
• Sovereignty, meaning that no other state
should have power over the country's territory.
• Except in voluntary compacts of free
association
Sovereign State

• There are presently 195 sovereign states in the world

(197 by some counts);
• 193 are members of the United Nations (the United
Nations has the State of Palestine and the Holy
See/Vatican City as Observers).
• Newest sovereign state: South Sudan

• Two other entities, Taiwan/Republic of China and

Kosovo, are recognized by some but not all members of
the United Nations.
• PR China claims Taiwan (One-China Policy) and
Taiwan/Republic of China claims Mainland China
• Serbia claims Kosovo as an Autonomous Province
Throughout history, government changes but the state
remains. This same principle is best quoted in the movie
Goyo: Ang Batang Heneral when Pantaleon Garcia explained
“Pag bumagsak si Aguinaldo, may bagong titindig. Pero
ito... hindi ito mapapalitan.” Garcia is explaining the
leaders of a government (Aguinaldo as the leader of
revolutionary government in this context) could be replaced,
but our country or the whole state will continue and can never
be replaced.
Difference between
state and nation?

• State is a political concept

whereas nation is an ethnic
concept
Difference between
state and nation?

• Nation in cultural context is a cultural

and a linguistic grouping of people who
feel they belong together.
• It is based on sense of belongingness
founded on commonality or shared
history, culture and languages.
– Ex. Jewish nation is tied together by
shared history, Hebrew, and Judaism
Difference between
state and nation?
Difference between
state and nation?
• State as a legal concept founded on common authority
and loyalty to the government and the whole polity
regardless of distinct and diverse culture they had.
Difference
between state
and nation?

• Historical example of a
state with multiple nations:
Soviet Union
• The 15 Union Republics
and the Autonomous
Republics were
separate nations
• Difference between Union
and Autonomous
Republics: Union
Republics were free to
leave the USSR (1977
USSR constitution)
– Autonomous SSRs became
Autonomous Republics of
their associated former
Union Republics
Difference
between state
and nation?

• Historical example of a state

with multiple nations:
Yugoslavia
• Yugoslavia was a federation
of South Slavic Republics
– and two autonomous
provinces (Vojvodina and
Kosovo & Metohija)
– Major Languages: Serbo-
Croatian, Slovene,
Macedonian
• Yugoslavia would break up
from 1991 (Slovenia
declares independence) to
2006 (Serbia and
Montenegro separate)
– Kosovo would declare
independence from Serbia in
2008
Nation-State

• UK is an example of the initiative to integrate

different nations into a Nation-State project.
• The United Kingdom is composed of
three main kingdoms – England, Scotland,
Northern Ireland (formerly all of Ireland), and
the Principality of Wales. Each of these
kingdoms (or in modern context nations)
have their own unique cultures.
Nation-State:
Evolution of the UK

• It all started when James VI of Scotland

inherited the thrones of England and
Ireland as James I
– The Kingdom of Ireland was tied to England
since Henry VIII's reign
• However, the first merger of England,
Scotland, and Ireland happened under
the Commonwealth of England (1649-
1660)
• 1707 Act of Union: merged England and
Scotland to form Great Britain
– Scotland kept its judiciary and certain privileges
inside the union
• 1800 Act of Union: merged the Kingdom
of Great Britain and the Kingdom of
Ireland to form the United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Ireland
– Most of Ireland split to form the Irish Free State
(now Ireland)
Nation-State

By symbolically representing each nation and creating and

collective identity – a sense of belongings and similarities
emerge and differences set aside.
However, Wales is only represented within England
Origin of the State

• Evolutionary Theory
• Force Theory
• Paternalistic Theory
• Divine Right Theory
• Social Contract Theory
Origin of the State

Paternalistic Theory
Theory of the expansion of the family from
simple family to extended families; it expands
through intermarriages into a clan, then into
tribe then into nation and eventually into a
state.
Evolutionary Theory of State
This Evolutionary theory is also known as
sociological or the correct theory of the origin
of the state.

The Evolutionary Theory is regarded as the

true and correct theory regarding the origin of
the state. This theory helps in understanding
the forces and factors, which created the state
and historical stage through which it passed.
Factors of Evolutionary Theory of
State
Following are the forces and factors evolutionary
theory of state:

1. Kinship
2. Magic and Religion
3. Property and the rise of Economic Classes
4. War and Force
5. Political Consciousness
Kinship
The state is based on the principle of
command and obedience. In the earliest
stages we find such a relationship in the
family based on blood and birth. In this
respect the matriarchal and patriarchal
societies became the basis of the origin
of the state.
Magic and
Religion
In ancient times people
were not civilized and
advanced. So they did not
understand the forces of
nature. At that stage man
was at the mercy of nature.

Some people tribes had the knowledge of these

forces. So they acquired superiority over others and
became their leaders.
Slowly and gradually religion became a powerful
instrument for keeping control over the people .
Property and the rise of
Economic Classes

In the beginning people roomed from

place to place in search of pasture and
water. They did not know what
agriculture was and how crops were
cultivated.
It is said where there is no property there
can be no government. This means that
the government and the state came into
existence with the beginning of the
private property and the division of the
War and Force
In the beginning force was used to capture
animals, wealth and land of the neighbouring
tribes.
War changed the tribes into political entity.
Since war became a permanent feature of tribal
life, leadership also became permanent.
Political Consciousness
• This means the thought of knowledge
as to why political organization is
needed. In the beginning there was the
need for defense and protection of life,
liberty and property, regulation of
social relations etc.
• Political consciousness began in
ancient times. It is a very slow process.
It took a very long time for man to ask
about the political authority.
Force Theory
The state came into existence as a result of
the forced subjection of the weak to the
strong.
Two arguments in force theory

(1)One group of thinkers used this theory to justify

the state on the ground that the state is power, that
might makes right and that the essence of the state
is a sovereign will.
(2)Second group, to attack the state because of its
injustice and urge individual freedom and limited
state action
Force Theory

• In middle ages theologians argued

that, the state was based upon force
and injustice and decried the origin of
earthly sovereignty in order to
subordinate temporal to spiritual
power.
Force Theory

• Individualist & anarchist

believe that the State is an
evil because of their desire
for individual freedom.
Force Theory

• Socialist believe that, the state

resulted from the aggression
and exploitation of laborers by
capitalist and attack, not the
idea of the state itself.
Origin of the State

Divine Right Theory

For the monarchial kingdoms they propagated the
belief that they were the chosen and anointed by
god to lead and rule their people and no one has
the right to question their authority unless they were
also questioning the authority and power of god this
lead to a despotic rule among monarchical
government
Origin of the State

Social Contract Theory (Thomas Hobbes)

• according to him once the society is in a state of
nature meaning there is no government or without
higher authority, humans are in the law of the
jungle.
• Where men are equal and their life is "solitary,
poor, nasty, brutish and short".
Origin of the State

Social Contract Theory

(Thomas Hobbes)

• Humans enter in what we call as

“SOCIAL CONTRACT,” in which humans
become part of a human social group,
which he/she agrees to give up some of
his privileges and freedom to a central
authority.
• Hobbes called this the Leviathan, or an
overarching ruler that exercise
sovereignty over its people with the
purpose of maintaining peace and order.
Social Contract Theory
(Thomas Hobbes)

We exchange our rights, freedom and

liberty for our protection and security.
Diplomacy

defined as "the relations of one state

with another through well-trained
representatives known as diplomats
and ambassadors usually to
promote and possibly arrive on
common interests on social, political
and economic respects."
Diplomacy

Diplomatic relations of different states has two

forms, bilateralism or multilateralism.
Bilateralism means a
diplomatic relations which
includes two states.
Diplomacy

Multilateralism is a diplomatic relations

which involves three or more states usually
facilitated by an international organization e.g.
United Nations (UN), European Union (EU) or Association of
Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
It is the way in which states gather and
discuss the most pressing issues in the world.
What kinds of states do
we need to handle
today’s most pressing
problems?
How does globalization
change the overall
balance of power among
states and citizens?