Is the State Still the Most Important Actor in International Relations
Is the state still the most important actor in International Relations?
State is commonly referred to either the present condition of a system or entity, or to a governed entity, such as a nation or a province. The state itself consists of the society, government as well as the people living there. Before the Second World War, State is often seen as the main actor in international Relations as it can declare states of wars, control most of the economic influence within the region and larger states often dominant the role of international relations within the region or even in the globe. However, after the Second World War, the impacts on state influence as an actor has become less important than before, regarding to this point, there is still a debate about whether it remains the most important actor or has been replaced by other actors. In this essay, I will be evaluating different actors in international relations to find out if the state is still the most important.
The international system consists of not just the nation-state itself, but also international organizations such as NGOs and private actor. After the Second World War, many international organizations were created, as the levels of economic, political, social and cultural transactions among individuals, societies and states continue to grow, international organizations at the same time have increasing their numbers and influences in IR. The growth of so many kinds of non-state actors challenges and even weakens the "state-centric" concept of international politics and replaces it with a "transnational" system in which relationships are more complex. These organizations changed the international environment (Miller, 1994). Following the traditional classification, non-state actors are divided into two categories: international intergovernmental organizations (IGOs) and transnational or international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) (Brown, 1995; Miller, 1994). IGO is a group which is
State is commonly referred to either the present condition of a system or entity, or to a governed entity, such as a nation or a province. The state itself consists of the society, government as well as the people living there. Before the Second World War, State is often seen as the main actor in international Relations as it can declare states of wars, control most of the economic influence within the region and larger states often dominant the role of international relations within the region or even in the globe. However, after the Second World War, the impacts on state influence as an actor has become less important than before, regarding to this point, there is still a debate about whether it remains the most important actor or has been replaced by other actors. In this essay, I will be evaluating different actors in international relations to find out if the state is still the most important.
The international system consists of not just the nation-state itself, but also international organizations such as NGOs and private actor. After the Second World War, many international organizations were created, as the levels of economic, political, social and cultural transactions among individuals, societies and states continue to grow, international organizations at the same time have increasing their numbers and influences in IR. The growth of so many kinds of non-state actors challenges and even weakens the "state-centric" concept of international politics and replaces it with a "transnational" system in which relationships are more complex. These organizations changed the international environment (Miller, 1994). Following the traditional classification, non-state actors are divided into two categories: international intergovernmental organizations (IGOs) and transnational or international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) (Brown, 1995; Miller, 1994). IGO is a group which is
References: Ataman, M. (2000). "The Effectiveness of International Organizations," Abant Ýzzet Baysal Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi, v. 2000-1 n. 1, pp. 152-167. Brown, S. (1995). New Forces, Old Forces, and the Future of World Politics. Post-Cold War Edition, New York: Harper Collins College Publishers. Miller, L. H. (1994). Global Order: Values and Power in International Politics. Boulder, CO: Westview Press.