1/22/25 Lecture 1 Globalization and
the nation state
Sassen 1996
Globalization has created a new geography of power (how power is distributed around
the world)
Power is distributed in global politics differently now compared to before
Old geography of power
Sovereignty is exercised in mutually exclusive national territories
National governments exercise sovereignty, sovereignty is exercised in national
territories
New geography of power
Two new developments that Sassen identified:
Denationalization of territory: national governments lose control over parts of their
territory
De-centering of sovereignty: national governments lose sovereignty to other global
actors
Denationalization of territory
Economic globalization materializes in specific territories
Governments of industrialized countries lose control over territory for diff reasons than
governments of less developed countries
Industrialized Countries
Management functions centralized in specific geographic territories
Big economic and financial centers
Globalization is “managed” out of these locations
1/22/25 Lecture 1 Globalization and the nation state
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Governments lose control of these locations
The government lose control bc in certain parts of their territory, there are factors that
determine
Less Developed & Developing Countries
Production activities become geographically dispersed
Globalization pushes production to new manufacturing centers in developing or less
developed countries
These governments (where the production has been relocated to) lose control over these
territories → they depend on the companies of industrialized countries to provide them the
work
De-centering of sovereignty
Two developments:
New international legal regime (deregulation) creates new powerful actors
New legal regime = deregulation
Government regulation decreases, private regulation increases
Creates opportunities for non state actors to emerge & gain power
Evidence:
International commercial arbitration
International rating agencies (rank credit worthiness of countries)
Creation of electronic space
States find it difficult to control electronic space
Hard to monitor electronic economic transactions
“Anonymous,” “Wiki-leaks,” “Edward Snowden” effect, etc.
1/22/25 Lecture 1 Globalization and the nation state
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