Globalization and Decline of State

Introduction. A considerable issue in the discipline of International Relations is the role of state. It is generally acknowledged that the constant transformation of society and economy has been oc-curring throughout the history. These changes could not pass side the condition of state in the world politics. According to Creveld (1999), since the middle of the seventeenth century, the institution of state has been the most dominant actor in international relations. However, over the past few decades it may seem that the state has lost its status. The outbreak of the intense global-ization has forced scholars to question the relevance of the state in the modern era. This essay will focus on the analysis of the nature of the decline of state in the globalized world and the question of the existence of such decline. After defining the necessary concepts of ‘state’ and ‘globalization’, it will discuss the arguments for and then against the state decline phenomenon and the significance of globalization in it. Overall, although it might seem that globalization has caused the decline of the state, it is more likely that the state has transformed in its functionality but not in status.

Defining ‘state’ and ‘globalization’. The term ‘state’ may be interpreted from various perspectives. It is often said that it is Thomas Hobbes, a famous realist, who invented and defined the term ‘state’ (Creveld, 1999). Hobbes (1660; cited in Korab-Karpowicz, 2013) discusses that states ‘for their own security en-large their dominions upon fear of invasion or assistance that may be given to invaders’. Thus, realists consider the state is a rational structure seeking to maximize power and national interest within both domestic and foreign policies. A famous German idealist Max Weber defines state as a combination of institutions possessing a monopoly on rule making and the legal em-ployment of military force within a limited territory (Calhoun, 2002).