Rise and Fall of Nation-State

                                                                                                

Nation state - Is it still relevant?

The nation state has not been defined exactly by any historian or scholar. It is generally opined that nationalism helps in nation building ultimately resulting in nation-state. Nation is a psycho cultural concept where it is bound by nationalism - relatively large group of people who feel that they belong together by virtue of sharing one or more such traits as common history, language, interests. Such nation obtaining sovereignty and political border is defined as a nation state. National honor, national self-determination, popular and national sovereignty were inescapable components of the doctrine of nationalism. The birth of nation state can be anchored to the modernization, industrialization, reformation period of medieval and modern Europe. Mr. Karl Deutsch has opined that the nations have been created due to the social mobilization which is due to the modernization and industrialization. This social mobilization made people to shift from subsistence economy into industrialized economy which exposes people to media, technology and make them wage labour, urban residents making them members in interest groups leading to feeling of oneness with a common features and historical background thus giving birth of nation-states.  Indeed, without the advances in transportation, communication, trade, and commerce afforded by the Industrial Revolution, it would not have been possible for modern nations to come into being.  A nation, it was felt, should choose its own form of government; it should decide for itself the course of action that it wishes to follow.

The major building blocks of nation-state are being American and French revolutions, the rise of nationalism coincided with the growth of some democratic ideas and sentiments. "Liberty, Equality, Fraternity" were not accidental slogans of the French Revolution but emerged from the middle classes demands of new rights, including the rights of representation and participation in public affairs.  Inspired by the French example, the peoples of Europe began to look upon nationalism as a blessing to be enjoyed by all men. At the same time, frightened by French expansionism, they rallied around their respective rulers in armed attempts to curb the "excesses" of French nationalism. War and conquest by one nation intensified the need for national and political unity in other nations. This is the emergence of nation states in the Modern Europe.

The rise of nation states has nationalism as its main attribute. This very nationalism has different factors in west and non-west. In the non-west, it was developed single umbrella due to the anti-colonial sentiment and freedom movements against the alien rule. The latter can be predominantly seen in 20^th century while the same can also be seen in the late 19^th century in the South America which was influenced by the American and French revolutions.  In the mid-20^th century, the nation-states were on their full rise giving birth to new states due to the decolonization, and self-determination.

Along with the nation-state concept, there existed its counterpart state-nation. In the latter, the existence of state presides over the nation. The very state brings the nationalism through common language, practices etc. The nationalism here is more political rather than an individual rise of conscience. Germany and its unification in 19^th century shows the predominance of state nation. 

After enough looking into history of nation-states, the question that whether these nation states still relevant? is a much posed one. One of the major aspect of modern world which affects the nation state system is globalization. In this globalization, the factors which infringe upon the nation-state system are transnational capital flows, international trade, open markets, migrations, technology etc. well, these were existed even before the 20^th century, but what is causing the uniqueness is the fall of costs of transport and communication on one hand and on the other the liberalization of the economies. The improvement in the transport has increased the movement of people or to be precise movement of labour across the nations. This very movement damages the notion of nationalism and thus in a long run making people global citizens. The world is more economically integrated than ever today. After the fall of Soviet Union the liberalization has moved to the communist regimes also making the trade transnational and further on a way to make world as an open market.

But it is not the technology which makes globalization, it is the policy. The policy of the state is the major factor in the global integration. It is usual to think that globalization brings down the authority of state over the nation, reduces the ability to tax. But on the contrary this very economic integration has brought alternatives for the state and citizens of a particular state still enjoy the perks by paying taxes. The global market depends on the production of the states and thus the significance of a state is not dwindled. When it comes to the nation state, people of a country are still attached to for the security and unified psychologically. Even in this globalized world, there is no place for the failed states and non-state actors dominated regions such as daesh. The world is in transition towards globalization, even if it is achieved the global governance still does not undermine the states thus indirectly not infringing upon the nation-state. There may be change in the definition of sovereignty but cannot diffuse the nation-states, Thus making the nation state concept still relevant and significant.

References:

 Wolf, M. (2001). Will the nation-state survive globalization? Foreign Affairs, 80(1), 178. doi: 10.2307/20050051 In-line Citation: (Wolf, 2001)

 Rejai, M., & Enloe, C. H. (1969). Nation-states and state-nations. International Studies Quarterly, 13(2), 140. doi: 10.2307/3013942 In-line Citation: (Rejai & Enloe, 1969)