The Emergence of the Modern Nation State: From European Roots to Global Dominance

Catalog description

The sovereign nation state, the basic building block of international relations is a product of European Page 177 Catalog 2025 - 2026 history. Through Europe's global dominance during the colonial period, this model has been transferred to the rest of the world and it serves currently as the only accepted model for organizing polities and global governance. Despite much globalization rhetoric, states have shown tremendous resilience in global politics. This course will examine the character of the modern state in Europe and contrast that concept with statehood in former European colonies. This introductory course will compare and contrast constitutional, political, and economic frameworks of selected European and Middle-Eastern and North African countries in view of their domestic histories and international contexts. In order to register for this course, the student must be an active member of the Global College Student Group.