Major Factors That Led to the Collapse of State Power
State power refers to the ability of the central government to control its territory and population while maintaining international recognition of its legitimacy. Domestically, no matter what party is in government, there has to be the ability to govern. Internationally, other states must continue to view the state as having the right and ability to govern and participate in international affairs. The overall trend is that states are less relevant than before. In the extreme, there are more failed states that lost the ability and recognition completely.
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Economic Globalization
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One reason many states are not as important today is economic globalization, including the rise of large, transnational corporations. These firms invest in multiple countries and move resources, goods and capital worldwide. The ability to choose host countries tempts states to "race to the bottom" by offering lower environmental and labor standards than other countries in order to make production more appealing for companies. Many companies voluntarily offer higher standards, but this is independent of the state.
Environmental Degradation
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Environmental degradation is both domestic and international. It undercuts the state's ability to control its territory because that territory is changing and even disappearing. Global climate change causes rising seas and a threat to small island states that cannot solve the problem alone. Most global environmental causes cannot be solved by the actions of one state, making international organizations and coordination more important. Domestically, deforestation and soil erosion reduce the capacity of the land to provide food or shelter. Droughts and mudslides become more common as states struggle to protect citizens.
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Civil War
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Within a country, populations could try to overthrow the government or to create a separate country for an ethnic minority. When many of these factions exist and become armed, civil wars result. Civil wars fragment the state by making it impossible to govern areas of the country. Sometimes the rebel forces provide public services, creating states within states.
Internal Dissent
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Some uprisings are not violent and do not seek to overthrow a dictator. These types of popular uprisings often attract international support and intervention. Such intervention removes the state's sovereignty. This situation is rare, as international peacekeeping efforts must be requested by the state. A 2011 example is NATO's intervention in Libya to help rebel groups.
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References
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