Introduction
Several years ago, globalisation began to develop as an influential trend in economics with a focus on trade and international economic relationships. However, later this process also affected politics, and today researchers and experts argue how globalisation influences political affairs in terms of its positive and negative effects (Lane, 2017; Solingen & Malnight, 2016). The purpose of this paper is to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of developing globalisation and its effect on politics with reference to discussing associated challenges in detail.
Globalisation and Politics: Associated Challenges
The progress of the principles of globalisation in the world has led to changing not only economic relationships between countries but also political ones. Consequently, the governments in different states have observed the necessity of discussing the course of their domestic politics in the context of global trends. The reason for following this approach is in the increased impact of international political actors on each other, as well as the impact of global political structures, like the United Nations (Lane, 2017). One of the key challenges associated with globalisation and its role in politics is intensified interdependence of political actors in the context of their decisions that can potentially influence the development of the world community. The problem is that not all governments decide to change courses to address the needs of the global community and be coordinated by the voice of the majority in the global political arena (Walter, 2017). This aspect leads to conflicts between political leaders of different states in relation to their courses regarding the protection of human rights and the avoidance of genocide and civil wars to maintain the world order.
There are cases when the focus on globalisation does not provide governments with opportunities to address their citizens’ needs and interests. While discussing this challenge, researchers often use the example of the European Union that illustrates the necessity of focusing on globalisation at certain stages of countries’ development to get economic benefits (Lane, 2017). However, today, to fully satisfy the needs of all citizens in the European Union, some countries need to adjust their courses in terms of politics to make them more domestic and focused. As a result, globalisation has both pros and cons for the politics of different countries depending on their level of development and dependence on global political structures.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Globalisation for Politics
The advantages of globalisation for politics are viewed as forces that promote these processes in the political sphere in addition to the economic one. The first advantage is the protection of human rights at the global level to ensure that all people’s interests are addressed. The second advantage is associated with maintaining eternal peace and combining governments’ efforts against terroristic and anarchist movements in the context of the United Nations and global non-governmental organisations (Lane, 2017). Thus, the protection against terrorism is one more benefit of globalisation in politics. In this context, researchers agree that developing countries can gain more from globalisation processes than developed countries (Solingen & Malnight, 2016). The reason is that developing countries often need to modify their political courses and support from other states to enter global markets. Furthermore, globalisation has positively affected the modern approach to immigration caused by war and political conflicts because of providing more support and freedom for people (Lane, 2017; Walter, 2017). As a result, in the sphere of politics, the progress of globalisation trends is associated with promoting stability and maintaining order and peace.
The disadvantages of globalisation for politics are related to the increased impact of other states on domestic affairs if the political course of a country does not correspond with regional trends. The second disadvantage is associated with the threat of interventions depending on the political situation in the country. On the one hand, international interventions and the process of combining efforts have positive impacts to promote the welfare of citizens. On the other hand, some researchers develop the idea that globalisation promoted by Western leaders is an alternative variant for developing imperialism in the world (Lane, 2017; Solingen & Malnight, 2016). Politics in one country becomes affected by the decisions made by influential leaders, and there are cases when they can be inappropriate for a certain cultural context.
Conclusion
Globalisation is a trend typical of the world today, and it cannot be ignored because of its impacts on the economy and politics. Still, in spite of the fact that this concept is widely accepted and followed, it is almost impossible to state directly whether it is positive or negative for politics because of certain pros and cons. On the one hand, globalisation leads to maintaining the political order in the world by means of developed societies. On the other hand, globalisation can negatively affect the states that prefer to follow alternative political courses and focus on the progress of the domestic economy. In some cases, the application of tools associated with globalisation is beneficial for leaders of advanced industrial countries, in other cases, it is associated with providing support for developing countries. In any case, the role of globalisation in modern politics is a controversial question that requires further discussion because of opposite views provided by experts and researchers.
References
Lane, J. E. (2017). Globalization and politics: Promises and dangers. London, UK: Routledge.
Solingen, E., & Malnight, J. (2016). Globalization, domestic politics, and regionalism. In T. A. Börzel & T. Risse (Eds.), The Oxford handbook of comparative regionalism (pp. 64-86). London, UK: Oxford University Press.
Walter, S. (2017). Globalization and the demand-side of politics: How globalization shapes labor market risk perceptions and policy preferences. Political Science Research and Methods, 5(1), 55-80.