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Picture Credit: University of Florida Statehood and Sovereignty
Also See GPF's Pages on:
Nations & States
General Articles on Sovereignty
This section provides a general analysis on sovereignty issues.State Sovereignty and the Global Economy
This section analyzes the effect global economic forces have on the power of states to determine their own fiscal and economic policies.Political Integration and National Sovereignty
This section analyzes attempts to integrate sovereign states into political unions such as the European Union and the African Union, and how this affects state sovereignty.State Sovereignty and Corruption
This section looks at how corruption, money laundering, tax havens, and flags of convenience challenge the power of the state.States, Nations, and Civil Society
This section analyses the idea of citizenship and the relationship between states and nations.State Sovereignty and Private Security Companies
This section looks at how private companies have become the ultimate neoliberal re-invention of the state, putting armed force at the direct service of those who can pay for it.
General Articles
Sovereignty and Plurinational Democracy. Problems in Political Science (2003)
Political scientists often argue that globalization and multilateral institutions are undermining the importance of national sovereignty. But in this chapter from Sovereignty in Transition, author Michael Keating argues that these analysts fail to recognize that the sovereignty concept is changing and taking on new meanings. For example, many minority groups reaffirm the sovereignty concept to gain more autonomy - rather than full independence. Keating advocates a "plurinational democracy" to accommodate the increasingly integrated world. (Hart Publishing)
In this article from Le Monde diplomatique, George Ross laments the passing of traditional interstate politics. Globalization has reduced everything to trade issues, he claims, and presents his opinion on the state of the world.Georgia, Abkhazia, Russia: The War Option (May 13, 2008)
Moscow is slowly undermining Georgia's sovereignty by strengthening its ties with the breakaway province of Abkhazia. Russia has lifted trade sanctions and has increased its troops in the breakaway province, under the pretext of protecting its citizens in the region. The author criticizes Europe for conceding to Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and not taking any action to show its support for Georgia. (openDemocracy)Tibet, China and the West: Empires of the Mind (April 1, 2008)
In this OpenDemocracy article, the author puts the China-Tibet issue in a historic perspective, considering their respective notions of sovereignty. During the first half of the 20th century, Tibet was de facto independent as China did not seek absolute control. But as China grew wary of Western Empires, the country's nationalistic ideas increased. To create one strong bloc against US, European and Japanese Empires, China fully integrated Tibet. This way, nationalism became a means of legitimizing full sovereignty over Tibet.Eye of the Storm: Ethnic Identities and "Contested Sovereignties" in the Niger Delta (March 26, 2008)
Large oil companies, Western governments and ethnic minority groups all challenge Nigeria's sovereignty over the oil-rich Niger Delta. This paper explores how these actors' quest for oil wealth, land, water and self-determination have "redefined" state sovereignty. The Movement for Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) is fighting the government and large oil companies to gain control over the delta, claiming their right to self-determination. Meanwhile, the US, through its Africa Command (AFRICOM), seeks to undermine the state's sovereignty, by securing its own control over the oil fields. (International Studies Association)The Farce of Iraqi Sovereignty (March 2008)
This Guernica article argues that, since the US occupation, Iraq has lost its sovereignty. Both the US and Iraqi government try to present the appearance of autonomy for the country. However, several US policy decisions, such as the building of a wall around Sunni districts, show that the US undermines Iraq's independent decision-making. Pointing out that a country's constitution is a key symbol of its sovereignty; the author criticizes the US controlled drafting of Iraq's constitution in 2005. He concludes that only complete withdrawal of occupation troops will give Iraq its independence back. (Guernica)When the State Means Business (January 25, 2006)
Though richer than it was six years ago, the Russian state has sacrificed political freedom and economic justice through the concentration of power and wealth. According to Andrei Illarionov, former economic adviser to President Vladimir Putin, the "corporatization" of the Russian state has reinforced the power of wealthy "insiders" while marginalizing citizens and alienating Russia's neighbors. As with other corporate states, such as Libya, Angola, Chad, Iran, Syria, Venezuela and Saudi Arabia, Russian citizens can only restore civil, political and economic freedoms by challenging the state from the bottom up. (International Herald Tribune)A Pseudostate is Born (June 27, 2004)
As the US grants nominal independence to Iraq, Adam Hochschild takes a look at the phenomenon of countries "where most real power is in the hands of someone else." Examples of these "pseudostates" include the Bantustans of apartheid South Africa, the Soviet Socialist Republics under the Soviet Union, and present-day Afghanistan, Palestine, Bosnia and Congo. (TomDispatch)Why the White House is Pushing Cyprus Solution (January 30, 2004)
US pressure for resolution of "the Cyprus problem" appears less motivated by political goodwill than the possibility of using Cypriot reunification as a template for Iraq's reconstruction, and for mending diplomatic bridges with Europe. (Christian Science Monitor)Greece, Turkey to Be Given a UN Plan for Cyprus (November 9, 2002)
The UN will present to Greeks and Turks the most comprehensive peace proposal in more than 10 years. The Greeks seek a two-zone federation linked by a central government and the Turkish Cypriots want a confederation of two independent states. (Reuters)This Marks the Death of Deterrence (October 9, 2002)
The new US doctrine of "pre-emptive action" kills the principle of state sovereignty. "Regime change as an aim of military intervention is a direct challenge to the international system established by the 1648 Treaty of Westphalia." (Guardian)Preparing the Way for International Protection (December 19, 2001)
A new report,"The Responsibility to Protect," supports the view that an international duty to save civilians at risk trumps the sovereign rights of states. (The Globe and Mail)Jack Straw: There Is Nothing Inevitable in the Failure of States (October 22, 2001)
"The state not only makes war possible: it also makes peace possible." The latest geo-political developments demonstrates that conflicts often arise when the state fails and when there is lack of international cooperation. (Foreign & Commonwealth Office)Ways of the Patriots (July 3, 2001)
E. J. Dionne resolves the paradox of sovereignty: States need international organizations in order to protect their sovereignty. Conversely, only those international organizations that are subject to democratic control can succeed. (Washington Post)Self-determination and the Future of Democracy (January 25, 2001)
Prince Hans-Adam II of Liechtenstein argues that the further democratization of democracy and the extension of the right to self-determination are the most reliable strategies to ensure future international stability in anarchy. (International Institute for Strategic Studies)Sovereignty and Human Rights: The Search for Reconciliation (May, 2000)
States or individuals - which of these should hold the spotlight? Richard Falk finds ways to explain the complexities of the sovereignty vs. humanitarian intervention debate. (Issues of Democracy)Rise of the Corporate Nation-State (April 10, 2000)
This article from the Christian Science Monitor discusses how corporations across the globe are increasingly taking on some of the traditional roles of the state. At the heart of this debate lies the question of who should set society's agenda - big business or big government.Are National Taxes Adequate for a Global Economy? (April 4, 2000)
An in-depth analysis of the impending crisis the new global economy poses for government-based tax systems. (Independent)Despite Global Changes, National Sovereignty Remains King (March 30, 2000)
A short but all-embracing essay on states' role in globalization. (International Herald Tribune)Has Globalization Really Made Nations Redundant? (March 2000)
This article from Le Monde diplomatique analyzes the idea of the nation-state as "a thing of the past." The authors suggest that recent policies have weakened the nation-state through globalization.
