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.
