Globalization of Politics

Political action has traditionally been undertaken within national political systems. Individuals and groups have competed for power within the state because it has been state authorities that have taken the actions - political, social and economic - that determined their welfare. Old-style political activity of that sort, the author argues in this book, is no longer relevant to the needs of modern citizens. The decisions that matter most to them today - that determine their security nad economic welfare, promote social justice, safeguard the environment, protect human rights, and and confront many other pressing problems - international terrorism, world hunger, the trafficing of narcotic drugs, the world refugee problem, for example - are reached not by national but by international authorities. Effective political action today therefore must be international action directed at such authorities. And if individuals are to safeguard their own interests effectively, they must seek to influence these bodies directly, and not only through the agency of governments, claiming to act on their behalf but having separate interests.The book therefore examines the kind of action that needs to be taken by world bodies in these fields, and the type of political activity through which individuals can seek to influence them.