Reading 3: What is the relation between politics and globalization? JIRKY SAMYN

 Summary

This chapter in Delanty and Rumford’s article is about political globalization. In the introduction it is explained that political globalization is created by three processes: global geopolitics, global normative culture and polycentric networks.

The first dimension of political globalization is the geopolitics of global power. In the article the writers talk about the worldwide spread of democracy and worldwide supremacy by the US. The second dimension is the rise of a global normative culture. This is visible across the world for example through human rights and environmental concerns. This global normative culture provides reference points for societies. The third dimension is polycentric networks. These are nonterritorial politics involving networks, new sources of mobility and communication and new relationships. INGO’s, grass-roots organizations and social movements form a global civil society, because they are active in a lot of places. This article talks about how these three dimensions are connected to each other and questions if this connection will eventually create one big global polity.

This first part of the article, the transformation of nationality and citizenship, explains why states are important, even in a political global world. The struggles these states are in are not because of territorial issues, but because of big brands receiving more and more power. This is how multi-governance and a transnational state came into existence. The nation-state does not disappear but becomes a part of the global world. The decoupling of nationality and citizenship has an effect on the boundary between national and international law. It is harder for states to ignore international law.  

The second transformation the article talks about is the transformation of the public sphere and political communication. Nation-states used to communicate their political beliefs and ideas in their national systems of communication. Now, this communication takes place in the public sphere.

The third and fourth parts are about the centrality of civil society and the transformation of spaces and borders. Civil socialization means politics are more informed by global culture and forms common political codes around global issues. Civil society enhances the democratic desire that all states need checks and guidelines. To the global civil society, territorial states are less important than the individual. The change globalization has on politics makes us rethink our ideas about spaces and borders.

In the conclusion, the writers state that political globalization raises new questions about politics and political structures. Old conflicts have changed or evaporated and new ones have been created.

Interesting point

It was interesting to read about the political globalization of the world and how it might develop in the future. It was interesting to read how territory is becoming less important or less relevant as globalization grows.

Discussion point

How do big companies and firms gain more political influence/power than states?