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Global politics facts for kids

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This article is about World politics (disambiguation)|World politics. For other uses, see Global politics (disambiguation).

Global politics, also called world politics, is all about understanding how countries and groups around the world interact. It's both the study of these interactions and the actual events happening globally. At its heart, global politics looks at how power works between different groups across the world.

This field studies how cities, countries, big companies, non-profit groups, and international organizations work together. It explores topics like how to solve conflicts between nations or ethnic groups, how democracy spreads, and how globalization affects peace and power. It also looks at how the world's economy and environment are connected. A big part of global politics is figuring out what makes a government or action fair and right on a global scale.

Some people think global politics is different from "international politics." They say international politics mainly focuses on how governments deal with each other. But global politics looks at a wider range of players, not just governments. However, many experts use both terms to mean the same thing.

It's helpful to think of global politics as an idea of a political space that goes beyond just local, national, or even international levels. This idea helps us study and understand how things work globally. Even though the term became popular recently, the idea of a connected world has been around for a long time. Think about old world maps or when different parts of the world first met through exploration and colonialism.

What is Global Politics?

Starting in the late 1800s, many groups began to think that politics wasn't just about individual countries. They believed it should include all of humanity. These groups, called internationalists, included people who cared about human rights, the environment, peace, women's rights, and minority groups. They didn't use the term "global politics" back then, but their ideas pointed in that direction.

The way modern global politics works today was shaped by powerful European countries. They became very strong economically and militarily. These European powers then shared their ideas and systems with the rest of the world. They saw countries as the best way to organize people. So, they viewed world politics as a competition between powerful countries trying to be the strongest.

Today, global politics is also shaped by important values. These include ideas about human rights, how people should develop, and beliefs like internationalism or cosmopolitanism. Cosmopolitanism is the idea that all humans are part of a single community and should work together globally.

Cosmopolitanism is a global way of thinking that suggests all people across the world should work together politically. It also believes that this global teamwork should be more important than other ways of connecting with each other.

As globalization grew, some people thought that individual countries would no longer be important in global politics. But this idea has been debated:

Other experts argue that countries are still very important in global politics. They help make globalization happen, rather than being replaced by it. Countries are still key because they provide safety, help their citizens' voices be heard, and create the rules for global trade.

Cycles in Global Power

Some thinkers believe that global power follows cycles. This means that different countries take turns being the main leader in the world, and then their power fades.

George Modelski's Cycles

George Modelski described global order as a system where one main country leads, and others try to challenge it. He said this system goes in cycles, each lasting about 100 years. A new leading power appears in each cycle.

Here are the countries he identified as global leaders:

Modelski said each cycle has four main parts:

  • Global War: A big war involving most major powers. It's often fought at sea and happens because the world system breaks down. It's very deadly and leads to a new global leader. This war is like a "decision" for the world.
  • World Power: The new leading country takes charge for about one generation. It focuses on global problems, brings other countries together, and is very creative.
  • Decline of Power: The leading country starts to weaken. Other countries become more nationalistic and challenge its power. This phase can last 20-27 years.
  • Spread of Power: The leader's ability to solve problems decreases. The world becomes a place with many competing powers. A new challenger appears, leading to another global war.

Modelski noted that leading countries often have: a stable society, a strong economy, and good organization. Challenger countries, on the other hand, often have: closed systems, absolute rulers, and internal problems.

Modelski believed this cycle began around 1493. He thought it developed as countries grew stronger and as naval power became more important. He also pointed out that the system has flaws, like not being able to solve problems between rich and poor nations. He wondered if the US might be replaced by a power in Asia or by a group of countries working together.

Joshua S. Goldstein's Cycles

Joshua S. Goldstein, in 1988, also suggested a "hegemony cycle" (a cycle of leading powers) that lasted about 150 years. He identified four main leading powers since 1494:

  • Hapsburg Spain: 1494-1648. This cycle ended with the Thirty Years War and the start of the idea of independent countries.
  • The Netherlands: 1648-1815. This cycle ended with challenges from France during the revolutionary wars.
  • Great Britain: 1815-1945. This cycle ended with Germany's challenges in two World Wars. After these wars, new global organizations like the World Bank and United Nations were created.
  • The United States: Since 1945.

Goldstein thought that the US's leadership might eventually be challenged by China, Western Europe, Japan, or (when he was writing) the USSR. He noted that the world is still unstable because of Power politics and the danger of nuclear weapons.

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