Foundations: Global Actors, Statehood, and Sovereignty

Notes

KEY TERMS GLOBAL ACTORS • Definitions are important – avoid circular definitions • An easy way to begin harder or more complex exam questions (5-8 marks) • Many exam questions combine your understanding of the key terms with other concepts • Always think about how your key terms relate to the study of global politics. Global Actor An actor at the internal level that has a certain level of global power and influence These global actors include: States, Intergovernmental organisations, Non-state actors. The Global Political Arena The global political arena of the 21 st century is made up of a number of key global actors. Since the Peace of Westphalia (1648) acknowledged sovereignty for a significant number of states, the global arena has evolved. It was the Treaty of Westphalia that established the rules that govern the statehood today. At the centre of this treaty was an agreement from Europe’s rulers to recognise each other’s right to rule over their own territories without interference. States therefore had equality as no higher power could intervene and there was no authority more powerful than the state. Definition: describes the result of treaties that ended the 30 years of wea...