Glossary
Cyber Threats
Malicious attacks or intrusions on a state's digital infrastructure and networks, compromising its security, data, or critical services.
Example:
A large-scale ransomware attack on a nation's healthcare system could cripple essential services and demonstrate a significant challenge to its digital sovereignty.
Devolution
The transfer of political power from a central government to lower levels of government, such as regional or local authorities.
Example:
The United Kingdom granting more legislative powers to the Scottish Parliament is a clear instance of devolution.
Foreign Intervention
When one country exerts military, economic, or diplomatic pressure on another, challenging its independent governance.
Example:
During the Cold War, the Soviet Union's intervention in Afghanistan significantly challenged the Afghan government's ability to rule independently.
Functional Region
A region organized around a central node or focal point, with the surrounding areas connected to it by specific activities or interactions.
Example:
The area served by a major metropolitan public transportation system, where people commute into the central city for work or services, forms a functional region.
Globalization
The increasing interconnectedness of the world through economic, cultural, and political processes, which can limit a state's ability to control its own economy or cultural norms.
Example:
The widespread adoption of global social media platforms like TikTok can challenge a state's ability to control information flow or cultural trends within its borders.
Internal Conflict
Disputes or warfare within a state's borders, such as civil wars or revolutions, which undermine the central government's control and authority.
Example:
The ongoing Yemen Civil War has severely weakened the state's ability to govern effectively, leading to a humanitarian crisis.
Micro-States
Extremely small, independent sovereign states that possess very small land areas and populations.
Example:
The tiny European nation of Vatican City, the smallest independent state in the world, is a classic example of a micro-state.
Regional Integration
The process by which states voluntarily cede some of their sovereign powers to a larger, often economic or political, regional organization.
Example:
When European Union member states agree to common trade policies, they are participating in regional integration, giving up some individual control.
Self-Determination
The principle that a group of people, often sharing a common ethnicity or culture, has the right to choose its own political status and form its own independent state.
Example:
The Kurdish people's long-standing desire for their own independent state across parts of Turkey, Iraq, Syria, and Iran is an example of a group seeking self-determination.
Sovereignty
A state's supreme authority to govern itself without external interference. It is the fundamental right of a country to control its own territory and internal affairs.
Example:
When a country like Japan decides its own economic policies and laws without another nation dictating them, it demonstrates its sovereignty.
Supranationalism
The process of states forming an organization and ceding some of their sovereignty to a higher authority to achieve common goals.
Example:
The United Nations Security Council can pass resolutions that member states are expected to follow, demonstrating a form of supranational authority.
Time-Space Compression
The idea that the world feels smaller and distances seem to shrink due to advancements in transportation and communication technologies. It alters our perception of time and space.
Example:
The ability to have an instant video call with a family member living in Australia makes the distance feel less significant, illustrating time-space compression.
United Nations
A prominent international organization established to promote international cooperation, peace, and security among its member states.
Example:
The UN Peacekeeping Forces deployed to conflict zones around the world exemplify the organization's role in maintaining global stability and providing humanitarian aid.