 Most states organize themselves into hierarchy of local government agencies (territorial organization)….i.e. state, county, city, school district, etc.
 Federalism – government bestows autonomous powers on local territories rather than centrally controlling entire nation. This serves several functions…..

 Federalism….
 Enables more efficient administration
 Gives voters greater influence in political processes
 Allocates resources through local agencies that are more in touch w/ needs of people in their jurisdiction
 Local autonomy – power to enact laws, tax citizens, police land, BUT who has what power between state and nation can cause dispute (i.e. states’ rights – Civil War)

 Unitary State An internal organization of a state that places most power in the hands of central government officials.

 Popular vote: all votes cast in all states
 Electoral College: specific # of electors from each state proportional to state’s population. Candidate who wins state gets all the states electoral votes
 Reapportionment: after census – Congressional districts redrawn
 Gerrymandering: purposefully drawing districts to favor one part
 Stacked or wasted vote

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Gerrymandering takes three forms.
“Wasted vote” spreads opposition supporters across many districts but in the minority.
“Excess vote” concentrates opposition supporters into a few districts.
“Stacked vote” links distant areas of like-minded voters through oddly shaped boundaries.

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Recent gerrymandering in the United
States has been primarily “stacked vote.”
“Stacked vote” gerrymandering has been especially attractive to create districts inclined to elect ethnic minorities.
Through gerrymandering, only about one-tenth of Congressional seats are competitive, making a shift of more than a few seats increasingly improbable from one election to another in the United States.
Fig. 8-11: State legislature boundaries were drawn to maximize the number of legislators for Republicans in Florida and Georgia.

 1.) International Organizations – alliance of 2 or more countries cooperate with each other without giving up autonomy or self-determination
 United Nations: created after WW II to replace League of Nations
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International peacekeeping
Can pass economic sanctions
UN peacekeeping troops – voluntary
 5 permanent members of Security Council = veto power – China,
France, Russia, UK, US

UN Headquarters
UN Logo

 Regional Alliances – Economic
NAFTA – North American Free Trade Agreement - US, Canada, Mexico
– economic ties and free trade
 OPEC – Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries – Middle
East and Venezuela….keep oil process high

 Regional Alliances – military
 NATO – North Atlantic Treaty Organization – created after WW II (US and W. Europe) agreement of military cooperation against E.Europe/Communism/Warsaw
Pact. After the fall of Communism NATO expanded membership to much of E. Europe

 Like an international organization but to some extent member nations relinquish some level of state sovereignty in favor of group interests
(more binding)
 EU European Union started
1958 w/ 6 countries, today over 20
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Free trade and economic cooperation
Euro – common currency
Helped Europe become leading economic superpower

500 million people
27 countries
*
Countries shaded gray are candidates for EU membership

27 Member States
500 million
Combined population of
EU Member
States
7
Percent of world’s population
30
Percent of global GDP
56
Percent of combined worldwide Official
Development Assistance

 Confederations – international organization that brings several autonomous states together for a common purpose
 Ex: CIS – Commonwealth of Independent States – confederacy of independent states of former USSR who’ve united because of common economic and administrative needs
 Ex: Confederate States of America – loose tie

 1945-1989: East (Communist, USSR) VERSUS West
(US, democracy, capitalism)
 Iron curtain
 Domino theory dominates foreign policy
 Since fall of Communism, alliances have shifted. Today division is N/S – wealthy northern hemisphere of MDCs, poorer S. hemisphere of LDC

 The E-W divide of the Cold War was ideological/political but the N-S divide today is economic and the division/disparity is increasing
 Future of nation-state is uncertain. Power being drawn away from nation states to powerful international corporations. Businesses crossing political boundaries and pushing buttons of politics. (i.e.. Blood Diamond)

 The Heartland Theory
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Definition - In 1904, Sir Halford Mackinder published the Heartland theory. The theory proposed that whoever controls Eastern Europe controls the Heartland. It also supported the concept of world dominance.
Explanation - A more revised version explains that whoever controls the heartland, controls the world island. Whoever controls the World Island, will soon rule the world.
In other words, the group or nation who dominates the heartland, can then extend its domination over a far wider area. The heartland has primarily been Central Asia, the high seas, and Eurasia.
Example - The Nazi party was in favor of the concept during World War II. The idea was very popular with the party, and they sought to achieve it. Also, the theory was accepted by the Soviet Union during the Cold War. Each nation made great territorial strides toward the heartland, but to no avail.

 The Rimland Theory
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Definition - In 1942, Nichols Spyman created a theory which countered
Mackinder’s Heartland theory. Spyman stated that Eurasia’s rimland, the coastal areas, is the key to controlling the World Island.
Explanation - The rimland contains the Heartland. Whoever would control the rimland, would eventually control the World Island. Whoever would control the World Island would soon control the world.
Example - His theory was influential mainly during the Cold War. The Soviet
Union desired to control the rimland around them. If accomplished, the Soviet
Union would control the heartland, rimland, and the World Island.