Global politics is one of the most interesting fields to explore. How states today interact and try to protect their interests is unprecedented. The understanding of international relations requires knowledge not only of politics but the history of the countries, their cultures, religions, and traditions among other elements. This combination of different spheres of knowledge makes international relations a unique field, and the introduction to global politics presented some remarkable details.
One of the most interesting facts from the introduction is the limited nature of sovereignty. Sovereignty can be defined as an independent power over a territory (Shiraev & Zubok, 2019). The concept of the sovereignty of different countries dates back to the Westphalia Peace Treaty of 1648 (Owen, 2020). It is remarkable to learn that today most countries are not truly independent and cannot make decisions that may benefit them without other nations’ approval. Many nations choose to impose certain limits upon themselves by joining numerous international institutions, such as the World Trade Organization. Various treaties can also limit what a nation can and cannot do, restricting its independence within and beyond its borders.
Another noteworthy point of the introduction is the discussion of how states interact. It is not unexpected that there are many international conflicts in the world. However, it is surprising to learn that conflict is one of the main ways in which nations interact and that it is mostly inevitable (Owen, 2020). Hierarchy within a state, such as China, can prevent local conflicts in a country (Owen, 2020). Nonetheless, there is no hierarchy on an international level, making conflicts between countries, in some sense, a natural way of interacting (Owen, 2020). At the same time, the existence of such a system would limit the sovereignty of nations even further. Thus, the only way to prevent a conflict between two equally developed countries is through cooperation.
Overall, the introduction to global politics demonstrates that international relations are an immensely complex field that requires thorough knowledge of history, economics, and the patterns in which countries interact with each other. The most interesting facts from the introduction are the limited nature of sovereignty and the inevitability of conflict between nations. The absence of hierarchy on an international level also contributes to the occurrence of conflict among different countries.
References
Owen, D. (2020). GOVT 251 – Introduction [Video]. MU Video. Web.
Shiraev, E., & Zubok, V. (2019). International relations (3rd ed.). Oxford University Press, USA.