Although the nation-state has been the predominant unit of political
organization for most of the last few centuries, its future is uncertain. Two trends
point to the nation-state as receding in importance, but these trends sometimes
contradict each other. Still, globalization and devolution continue to occur at a
rapid rate throughout the twenty-first-century world, and both will affect the
future of nation-states.
Globalization
The first major trend is globalization. Over the last few
decades, national boundaries have broken down in a variety of ways, including
economically. In today’s truly global economy, money and goods travel across
borders in huge quantities and at great speed. Many corporations build parts in
a variety of countries, then assemble them in yet another country. Most goods
are no longer “made in America,” for example, because much of the manufacturing
often happens in other places, whereas final assembly occurs in the United
States. The rapid growth of international investing has further globalized the
economy. Globalization often leads to transnationalism, so should this
globalizing trend continue, the nation-state might give way to the transnational
government.
Transnationalism
Transnationalism has also occurred at the political
level. International organizations, such as the United Nations and the World
Trade Organization, play an ever-increasing role on the political stage, and
nations join them for such benefits as military protection and economic
security. In the case of the European Union, national boundaries have very
little meaning. All citizens can travel, live, and work freely throughout
the European Union, and all internal tariffs and trade restrictions have
been abolished. Some residents see themselves as citizens of a new European
Union nation, not of their smaller countries. Transnational governments and
groups literally transcend geographical and political boundaries.
Example: The World Trade
Organization, the United Nations, and the World Bank are just a few
examples of international organizations that sometimes act like
governments or play a substantial role in international relations. Other
examples include the Organization of American States, the North Atlantic
Treaty Organization, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and
Development, and the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries.
The fact that increasing numbers of people around the world speak the
same language demonstrates the transnational trend. English has become
something of an international language, but other languages (such as French,
Chinese, and Russian) are also spoken by many around the world. Overall, the
total number of languages spoken is decreasing, while the total number of
speakers of certain dominant languages is increasing.
Devolution
The second trend that marks the recession of nation-states concerns the
increase in political power being given to local governments, sometimes to the
point of autonomy. This trend is sometimes called devolution
because states are said to devolve power back to local governments. In the
United Kingdom, for example, Scotland has been granted a great deal of autonomy,
as has Catalonia in Spain. Should this trend continue, local governments would
replace national or central governments.
The table below summarizes the trends of globalization and
devolution.
GLOBALIZATION AND DEVOLUTION TRENDS
|
Globalization
|
Devolution
|
| Power
flows | Outward, away from the state | Inward, down from the central
government |
| Power
belongs to | International organizations and transnational
governments | Regional and local governments |
| Power is
lost by | The state | The central government |
| Sometimes
known as | Transnationalism | Subnationalism |
| Examples | The European Union, the United Nations, the World Trade
Organization | New Federalism in the United States, increased Scottish
autonomy in the United Kingdom, in-creased study of local and
regional languages (such as Breton in France) |
Subnationalism
Accompanying devolution has been an increased identification with and
interest in subnational groups. The prefix sub means
“below” or “beneath,” so the term subnational indicates a
smaller division of a larger national group. Many people are working to
preserve the language, culture, and history of subnational groups. Some in
France, for example, are learning to speak Breton, a language that had
largely disappeared. In a number of countries, local dialects that were
suppressed under dictatorial governments have reemerged after a transition
to a more democratic government.
Example: With the breakup of the
Soviet bloc in Eastern Europe in 1989, a number of subnationalities
emerged. In the Baltic states, for example, students learned native
languages rather than Russian. Czechoslovakia went so far as to split
into the Czech Republic and Slovakia. In the Balkans, the emergence of
subnationalism turned violent as Serbs, Croats, Slovenians, and others
fought over the remains of Yugoslavia.
