Globalisation, the nation-state and global society

This article examines the notion that globalisation has resulted in the dec line of the nation-state. It argues that during most of its history globali sation was in fact associated with the rise of the nation-state through the construction of overseas empires that extended and strengthened it. The de velopment of global political organization has reinforced the nation-state through the growth of international organizations based on the principle of national sovereignty. It is transnational flows, networks, and organizatio ns that have challenged the authority of the nation-state. These do not, ho wever, float in a global limbo but are always rooted in and dependent upon some nation-state or other. Transnational movements can embarrass nation-st ates but have little real impact upon them and challenge them far less than did the nationally based labour movements that have been undermined by glo balisation. Some see globalisation as leading to a global society transcend ing national units but this view overlooks the continued importance of nati onal institutions and international relationships, and the emergence of str ong regional organizations, in a society that is essentially multi-level ra ther than global in character.