KEY CONCEPTS OF CIVIL SOCIETY, THE
STATE AND POLITICS
Presented by:
Gerald William C. Paragas
Ph.D. Candidate in Business Administration
“Today many things indicate that we are going
through a transitional period, when it seems
that something is on the way out and
something else is painfully born. It is as if
something were crumbling, decaying, and
exhausting itself, while something else, still
distinct, were arising from the rubble.” – Vaclav
Havel
The concept of State:
State is an organized political entity with a permanent
population, a well defined territory, and a government; it is
synonymous with nation – state. (Kegley, 2012)
 The earliest record of such states come from ancient
Mesopotamia.
 Two dozen of rival city – states flourished on the flood plains
between Tigris and Euphrates rivers.
 The first civilization began in Sumeria, the region south of
Mesopotamia which borders the coastline of the Persian Gulf.
 Evidences of:
First wheel and plow;
 First use of writing and metallurgy;
 First legal codes and business contracts;
 First production of beer with 19 varieties. (Barber and Riggs,
1998)
 A typical Sumerian city – state is made up of high mud brick
walls to protect it from various attacks in 2500 BCE.
 Reasons for conflicts:
 Over water rights;
 Grazing lands;
 Trade routes.
 King Lugal – Zaggisi of Umma defeated Lagash (2350
BCE).
 As a result:
 He sacked the city;
 Massacred many Lagash citizens;
 Placed statues of the Gods of Lagash in bondage.
 The latest war in Mesopotamia / Iraq is when U.S. launched
a military campaign against Saddam Hussein in 2003.
Resulting to the “first digital war”.
 Resulting to precision air strikes.
 Comparison between the Sumerian war and U.S. led attack:
 Sumerian – fighting occurred at close quarters whereas U.S.
– Commanders could monitor the attack from hundreds of
miles away.
 Sumerian – scouts for intel of enemy’s defences whereas
U.S. uses predator drones or the Airborne Warning and
Control System (AWACS) planes.
Sumerian uses volley of arrows when closing with the enemy
whereas U.S. uses cruise missiles, stealth fighter, and heavy
bombers.
 Concept of Politics:
 Is the exercise of influence by competing individuals and
groups to affect the allocation of values and distribution of
resources.
 Political Scientist Harold Lasswell defines politics as the
process of determining “who gets what, when, how and why.”
 Concept of Politics:
 What is the lesson learned from the Sumerian war and U.S.
led attack in Iraq (Mesopotamia)?
 Kegley (2012) states that politics among territorial states is a
mixture of continuity and change.
As a result of the shift from crude to sophisticated warfare.
We owe to advances of technology and innovations.
 Concept of Politics:
 What is the lesson learned from the Sumerian war and U.S.
led attack in Iraq (Mesopotamia)?
 Kegley (2012) states that politics among territorial states is a
mixture of continuity and change.
As a result of the shift from crude to sophisticated warfare.
We owe to advances of technology and innovations.
 Continuity and change in the world politics:
 What will be the new world be like?
 Will humanity be better off in the years ahead or will it
suffer?
 Which international events will echo past patterns?
 Which
changes?
international
events
will
provide
revolutionary
 The agents of continuity and change in politics:
 Actor – Dramatis personae on the global stage.
An
individual, group, state, or organization that plays a major role
in world politics.
 Individual people – behaviours on issues of:
 investment scams;
 health benefits;
 K to 12;
 waste recycling;
 immigrate to another country, etc.
 The agents of continuity and change in politics:
 People exert more influence in an organization.
 Aristotle – human beings are political animals.
They join groups to enhance their security and welfare.
 Political organizations such as bands, tribes, chiefdoms and
states.
 End result:
Collaborate for mutual benefits amidst the
scarce resources.
 The emergence of nation – state system:
 Actors – plays a major role in world politics.
 Nation – state system – born with the Peace of Westphalia
in 1648. End of the Thirty Years’ War.
 Thirty Years’ War was marked by chaotic cultural, political,
and economic issues in Europe.
 Clash between Catholics and Protestants.
 The emergence of nation – state system:
The creation of the nation – state system – functions as a
unitary whole.
 In politics, the system is composed of states that interact
regularly.
 Sovereignty – embodied the exclusive rights of states to
make, enforce, and adjudicate laws within their domains.
 The emergence of nation – state system:
 Nation – state is a convergence between territorial states
and the psychological identification of people within them.
 Nation is a group of people who feel a common identity due
to a shared language, culture and history.
 Multination state – Ex: Nigeria composed of Yoruba, Ibo,
Hausa Fulani nations (ethnic groups)
 Multistate nation – Ex: Kurds in Iran, Iraq and Turkey.
 The rise of non – state actors:
 Nonstate actors – refers to International Government
Organizations (IGOs) whose members are states.
Refers to Non – Governmental Organizations (NGOs) whose
members are individuals and private groups from more than
one state.
 The rise of non – state actors:
 Billiard Ball Model – States as the sole movers of global
affairs.
 Behaviour as unitary responses to external threats.
 Little importance to domestic sources of foreign policy.
 Predict the outcome of collision – geographic location, policy
direction of states.
 The rise of non – state actors:
 Richard Haas (2008), a former staff of the U.S. National
Security Council – nation-states are no longer the only
significant actors on the world stage.
 Because of:
 regional and global organizations;
 militias;
 NGOs.
 The rise of non – state actors:
 Examples:
 IMF and WTO;
 Hezbullah and Taliban;
 Greenpeace;
 Doctors Without Borders.
 How perceptions shape interpretation of world politics:
 Heuristics – judgemental shortcuts used to compensate for
limited information about complicated problems.
 Rely heavily on available data.
 Biases are created.
 Limited information = limited understanding.
 How perceptions shape interpretation of world politics:
 Schematic reasoning – new information is interpreted by
comparing it to generic concepts stored in memory.
 Humans are “categorizers”.
 Matching the world with images in their memories.
 Distorted understanding.
 How perceptions shape interpretation of world politics:
 Cognitive dissonance – the tendency to deny or rationalize
away discrepancies.
 Minds select, screen and filter information.
 Non realization of the truth.
 Use of framework in analyzing world politics:
 Three (3) levels of Analysis:
 Individual level – refers to the distinctive personality traits,
experiences and behaviours of people making foreign policy
decisions.
 A leader’s political beliefs, attitudes and opinions.
“Ronald Reagan won the Cold War by being
tough on the Communists” – Patrick Glynn.
 Example:
 Use of framework in analyzing world politics:
 Three (3) levels of Analysis:
 State level – the process on how the internal attributes of
states influence their foreign policy behaviour.
 Types of governments, levels of economic development and
characteristics of the society.
“Soviet militarism destroyed its economy and
hastened the self destruction of the Soviet empire” – Fred
Charles Ikle.
 Example:
 Use of framework in analyzing world politics:
 Three (3) levels of Analysis:
 Systemic level – refers to the alliance of networks and,
level of economic interdependence among state and non-state
actors.
 Existence of alliances and the extent of trade.
 Example: “The U.S. and our allies deserve great credit for
maintaining the military and economic power to resist and turn
back the Soviet aggression” – Richard Nixon.

 Theories of world politics:
 What is a theory:
 A theory is a set of statements that explains a particular
phenomenon.
 Realism, liberalism and constructivism explain international
relations.
 Theories of world politics:
 Realist theory:
 Realism views the nation – state as the most important actor
on the world politics / stage.
 States are sovereign; answers to no political authority.
 Supreme power over territory and populace.
 Theories of world politics:
 Under the realist picture:
 The rivalry between the U.S. and Soviet Union.
 The expansion of Cold War between the struggles of East
and West.
 Theories of world politics:
 Limitations of realism:
 National power is exhibited by arms race.
 Alliances threaten counter-alliances.
 Promotes lesser evil in decision making.
 Struggle for power and prestige.
 Theories of world politics:
 Liberal theory:
 Believes in reason and the possibility of progress.
 Emphasize ethical principle over power.
 Emphasize institutions over military.
 Struggle for consensus and mutual gain.
 Theories of world politics:
 Limitations of liberal theory:
 International institutions cannot provide timely and muscular
responses to aggression.
 Not paying attention on the differences of low and high
politics.
 low – economic, social and environment.
 high – military and security.
 Theories of world politics:
 Constructivist theory:
 The social structure of a system makes actions possible by
constituting actors with certain identities and interests.
 Limitations:
 Pursue change but without support of material and
institutional events.
 Ideas without practice / realization.
 Comparison of theories of world politics:
A Comparison of Realist, Liberal and Constructivist Theories

Feature
Realism
Core concern
Self interested states survive in
an environment where they are
uncertain about the intentions
and capabilities of others
Key actors
States
Central concepts
Approach to peace
Global outlook
Liberalism
Coordinate their behaviours
through rules and
organizations in order to
achieve collective gains
States, international
institutions, global corporations
Anarchy, self help, national
Collective security,
interest, relative gains, balance international regimes, complex
of power.
interdependence, transnational
relations
Protect sovereign autonomy
Democratization, open
and deter rivals through military markets, and international law
preparedness
and organization
Pessimistic: great powers
locked in relentless security
and competition
Constructivism
Ideas and identities shape
world politics
Individuals, NGOs,
transnational networks
Ideas, shared knowledge,
identities, discourses
Activists who promote
progressive ideas and
encourage states to adhere to
norms of appropriate behaviour
Optimistic: cooperative view of Agnostic: global prospect
human nature and a belief in hinges on the content of
progress
prevailing ideas and values
 Theories of world politics:
 Radical Critique:
 Karl Marx (1818 – 1883) – Communist Manifesto is the
history of class struggles. Socialism focuses on class conflict.
 Capitalism:
 Ruling class or bourgeoisie – owns the means of
production.
 Subordinate class or proletariat – sells its labor with little
compensation.
 Theories of world politics:
 Feminist Critique:
 Feminist theory is against:
 Exclusion of women in discussions about international
affairs.
 Injustice of women.
 Unequal treatment of women.
 Theories of world politics:
 Can behavioral science advance the study of world
politics?
 Behavioralism uses hypotheses and other quantitative
methods to explain world politics.
 Max Weber (1864 – 1920) – social scientists understand the
reasons for such actions. A qualitative approach.
 Physical science versus human intentions.
 Non-state
actors
and
the
challenge
of
global
governance:
 Two principal types of non state actors:
 Intergovernmental Organizations (IGOs) – institutions
created and joined by states’ governments, which give them
authority to make collective decisions to manage particular
problems.
 Example:
 World Trade Organization (WTO).
 Non-state
actors
and
the
challenge
of
global
governance:
 Two principal types of non state actors:
 Nongovernmental Organizations (NGOs) – transnational
organizations of private citizens that include foundations,
professional associations, MNCs, or groups in different
countries joined together to work toward common interests.
 Example:
 Toyota Motor Corporation.
 A simple classification of IGOs:
A simple classification of IGOs
Geographic scope of
membership
Global
Regional
Multiple Purposes
United Nations
World Trade Organization
UNESCO
Organization of the Islamic
Conference
European Union
Organization for Security and
Cooperation in Europe
Organization of American
States
Organization of African Unity
League of Arab States
ASEAN
Single Purpose
World Health Organization
International Labor
Organization
International Monetary Fund
Universal Postal Union
European Space Agency
Nordic Council
NATO
International Olive Oil Council
International North Pacific
Coffee
African Groundnut Council
 A simple classification of NGOs and IGOs:
NGOs
IGOs
176 (1909)
1,255 (1960)
7,628 (2009)
Span is political, social, economic, science,
healthcare, culture, theology, law, security,
defence
Independent of governments
1,000 NGOs consult with various agencies of
the United Nations
Pursuit of common policies and programs
37 (1909)
154 (1960)
249 (2009)
Created by states to solve shared problems.
Ex: NATO – military alliance
OAS – economic development
Dependent on governments that created them
Hold parallel conference with NGOs
Pursuit of common policies and programs
 Global IGOs:
 The United Nations:
 The United Nations is the best known global organization.
 It has universal membership distinct from other IGOs.
 U.N. membership: 51 states (1945) and 192 states (2010).
 The changing membership of the U.N.:

STATES
51
61
120
150
192
YEAR
1945
1965
1985
2005
2010
 The changing membership in the U.N.:
 Trend is increasing.

200
180
160
140
120
100
80
60
40
20
0
Purposes and agenda of the U.N.
 Based on Article 1 of the U.N. Charter states:
 Maintain peace and security.
 Develop friendly relations among nations based on respect
for the principle of equal rights and self determination of
peoples.
Purposes and agenda of the U.N.
 Based on Article 1 of the U.N. Charter states:
 Achieve international cooperation in solving international
problems of an economic, social, cultural, or humanitarian
character and in promoting and encouraging respect for
human rights and for fundamental freedoms for all.
 Function as a center for harmonizing the actions of nations
in the attainment of these common ends.
 The U.N. Has been used by rich and developing countries to
promote their respective foreign policy objectives.
 The U.N. faces challenges of
the changing and growing
agenda of all of its member countries across the globe.
 The following are set of global problems addressed by U.N.:
 AIDS
 Economic development
 Climate change
 Energy shortages
 Dwindling fresh water supplies
 Human rights abuses
 Internationally organized crime
 Below is a map of the U.N. Headquarters and global network:
 Organizational Structure of the U.N.
 General Assembly – main deliberative body.
 Security Council – deals with threats of international peace
and security.
 Economic and Social Council – coordinates social and
economic programs.
 Trusteeship Council – suspended operation in 1994 when the
last remaining territory gained independence.
 International Court of Justice – oversee disputes between
states.
 Secretariat – performs administrative functions. Sec. Gen.
Ban Kai – moon.
 Organizational Structure of the U.N.
 Three other prominent IGOs:
Trade Organization (WTO) – a full fledged
intergovernmental organization with a formal decision – making
structure.
 World
 Mandated to manage trade conflicts among members.
 Given authority for enforcing trading rules and settling trade
disputes among its 153 member states.
 During the past decade, an average of 20 disputes per year for
WTO’s resolutions.
 World Trade Organization (WTO):
 Its goal is to transcend (change) the existing free trade
between two countries and replace with a comprehensive world
wide system of liberal/free trade.
 Undermines traditional rule of law that prohibits interference in
states’ domestic and economic affairs.
 WTO was developed as an agreement among states that they
will surrender some of their sovereign decision making freedom
and pooling of sovereignty will entail gains than losses.
 Target of criticisms since its policies are orchestrated by some
of its powerful members.
 The World Bank (WB):
 Created in July 1944 at the UN Monetary and Financial
Conference held in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire attended by
44 countries.
 International Bank for Reconstruction and Development to
support reconstruction efforts in Europe after the WWII.
 Shifted from reconstruction to developmental assistance.
 Assisted Global south countries of their economic growth by
loans with lower interest rates and longer repayment plans.
 The World Bank (WB):
 By 2009, WB has provided loans amounting to US$639 Billion.
Hence, the most influential IGO for combating poverty in the
Global south.
 185 member countries headed by a Governor who is also a
member of the country’s finance ministry.
 Board of governors meet annually in Washington D.C. To
discuss policy directions and administrative functions.
 WB’s largest shares of capital stocks are vested in U.S.,
Germany, Japan, France and U.K.
 The World Bank (WB):
 The President of WB is always an American since U.S. and
Western Europe possesses majority control over the board of
governors.
 Insisted on political reforms on countries as a condition for
economic assistance.
 It has been criticized of favouring the middle income rather
than the impoverished countries.
 International Monetary Fund:
 IMF was created by the U.S. at the 1944 Bretton Woods
Conference since before WWII the international community
lacked mechanisms to manage the exchange of money across
borders.
 A global institution designed to maintain currency – exchange
stability by promoting international monetary cooperation
orderly exchange arrangements.
and
 A lender of last resort for countries experiencing financial
crises.
 International Monetary Fund:
 Specialized agency of the U.N. System.
Daily business is
conducted by a 24 member executive board chaired by a
managing director – head of 2,000 employees.
 Operating funds come from the 187 member states.
 Operates like a credit union that requires members to
contribute to a common pool of funds from which it can borrow.
 Voting is weighted based on the member’s contribution.
Larger voice to wealthier states.
 International Monetary Fund:
 Criticizes of forcing debtor countries to cut on social programs
spending.
 Makes political demands in terms of privatization.
 IMF
conditions weakens
international capitalism.
domestic
groups
denouncing
 Director Dominique Straus – Kahn has reforms to distribute
loans faster with fewer conditions.
 Regional IGOs
 European Union – cooperation among powerful states.
 EU – an example of peaceful international cooperation with a
single economy and a common currency - Euro Dollar.
 Principal institutions:
 Council of the European Union
 European Commission
 European Parliament
 Court of Justice
 European Central Bank
 Regional IGOs
 European Union:
 Shifted from nation states to single integrated European
Federation.
 EU as the United States of Europe.
 EU is a pooled sovereignty – legal authority granted to an IGO
by its members to make collective decisions regarding specified
aspects of public policy made by each sovereign government.
 Regional IGOs
 European Union’s challenge:
 Greece’s budget deficit stood at 127% of its GDP.
 Public debt reached 113% of its GDP.
 The EU Stability Growth Pact – deficit is < 3% of GDP.
 Greece is on the verge of default on maturing $23 Billion of its
bonds. If not refinanced, default spreads to Portugal, Ireland,
Italy and Spain.
 Regional IGOs
 European Union’s challenge:
 EU unveiled a $1 Trillion bailout plan for indebted members.
 Challenge: How to improve fiscal discipline among members.
 Create a council of the Eurozone – a new economic decision
making body – a threat to European Central Bank’s political
independence.
 Illiquidity or insolvency?
 Regional IGOs
 North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) – a military
alliance created in 1949 to deter Soviet Union in Western
Europe.
 28 member states.
 Mission to promote democratization and combat terrorism
outside its territory within Europe.
 Regional IGOs
 The Council of Arab Economic Unity (CAEU) established in
1964 to promote trade and economic integration among its 10
members.
 The Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN)
established in 1967 to promote regional economic, social and
cultural cooperation.
 Created a free trade zone among its 10 members in 1999.
 Regional IGOs
 The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) established in 1973
as a common market to promote economic development among
its 15 country and territory members.
 The
Economic Community of West African States
(ECOWAS) established in 1975 to promote regional trade and
economic cooperation among its 15 members.
 The
Latin American Integration Association
established in 1980 to promote and regulate free trade.
(LAIA)
 Regional IGOs
 The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation
(SAARC) established in 1985 to promote economic, social, and
cultural cooperation among its 7 members.
 The Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum
established in 1989 and with a current 21 members, plans to
establish free trade and open trade in the region for developing
countries by 2020.
 The Southern African Development Community (SADC)
established in 1992 to promote regional economic development
among its 14 members.
 Nongovernmental Organizations:
 “You cannot engineer global changes all by yourself...”
(Kegley, 2012)
By joining NGOs, people can lobby more effectively for causes
they support.
 Nongovernmental Organizations:
 NGOs – international actors whose members are not states,
but instead of people that are drawn from populations of two or
more societies who have come together to promote their shared
interests.
 35,000
NGOs worldwide tackling global
environmental protections to human rights.
issues
from
 Pursue objectives that are highly respected and hence not
much opposition.
 Nongovernmental Organizations:
 NGOs with widespread popular support:
 International Chamber of Commerce
 Red Cross
 Save the Children
 World Wildlife Federation
 Greenpeace
 Amnesty International
 Hezbollah – a controversial NGO.
 Nongovernmental Organizations:
 NGOs matter because of the power of ideas for Constructivist
side.
 Sets political agendas
 Promote normative change
 Energize constituencies (people) to support the policies they
promote
 World politics is not only the interaction of sovereign states but
involves networks of people.
 Nongovernmental Organizations:
 Movements as other actors of world politics:
 Ethnopolitical group – people whose identity is defined by
their sharing of common ancestral nationality, language, cultural
heritage and kinship ties.
 Example: Kurds in Iraq, Iran and Turkey.
 Nongovernmental Organizations:
 Movements as other actors of world politics:
 Indigenous people – the native ethnic and cultural inhabitant
populations within countries ruled by a government controlled by
others.
 Fourth World
 Example: Aetas of the Philippines
 Nongovernmental Organizations:
 Movements as other actors of world politics:
Religion – creates identities and loyalties that transcend
national boundaries.
 Natural force for global harmony.
 Many died in the name of religion.
 Examples: The Crusade – battle of Christians and Muslims in
the 11th and 14th Centuries.
 Nongovernmental Organizations:
Corporations
–
business
enterprises
headquartered in one state that invest and operate extensively in
other states.
 Multinational
 Wal – Mart attracts over 100 million customers every week to
its stores worldwide. Annual revenues of $408 Billion with 2
million employees.
 MNCs account of 2/3 of the world’s exports and 1/3 of the
stock of all foreign direct investments (FDIs).
 Nongovernmental Organizations:
 Multinational Corporations:
 MNCs were headquartered in U.S., Europe and Japan.
 Its plants, sales corporations and mining operations located in
the Global south countries.
 Old practice:
80% of all MNCs employees worked in
developing countries due to cheap labor.
 New practice: Thomson, a Canadian media company – 97.8%
of assets, 96.6% of sales, 97.3% of jobs outside Canada.
 Nongovernmental Organizations:
 Multinational Corporations:
 Embraer Brazil for jet assembly – 95% sales outside Brazil.
 Mexico’s Cemex for concrete – 4/5 of revenues from outside
Mexico.
 India’s Tata Motors and China’s Hisense Electronic.
 Nongovernmental Organizations:
 Transnational Banks – the world’s top banking firms, whose
financial activities are concentrated in transactions that cross
state borders.
 TNBs help to reduce the meaning of political borders by
transferring capital through international loans and investments.
 Increasing global economic interdependence.
 Example: Bank of America.
 Nongovernmental Organizations:
 Strategic Corporate Alliances: Cooperation between MNCs
and foreign companies in the same industry, driven by the
movement of MNC manufacturing overseas.
 IBM CEO Samuel Palmisano states that, “MNCs are globally
integrated enterprises to reflect how their many components from
back office to manufacturing to product development are
dispersed around the planet in a vast network.”
 50% of revenues of IBM, P&G, ExxonMobil, DuPont originates
overseas!

Issue Advocacy Groups / Global Civil Society:
 Greenpeace – focuses on preventing pollution, maintaining
bio-diversity through education programs, lobbying, and non –
violent protest demonstrations.
 Total income of approximately $250 Million from individual
donations and foundation grants.

Thank you and God Bless........