Does the concept of the 'nation state' have a future? Or will future governments preside over economic bodies?

Question

What does the future hold for the 'nation state' as we know it?

It will probably always be around, at least nominally.

Will it still be around in the coming centuries, or will the world simply be made up of market systems like the EU, etc?

Answer 1

Despite some people's attraction to it there is nothing natural or final about the nation state.
As human society has developed and evolved the influence from within and outside communities has changed. As as this has changed so has the way we have chosen to govern ourselves.
The first levels of government were simply family units - led by an alpha male.
As humans developed communication and the ability to cooperate these evolved into larger family units and tribes.
Some tribes became larger and more developed and evolved into city states. These city states united or conquered thier way to nation states.
There is no reason to believe we are finished in this process. As the influence from outside our nation states grows (multi-national corporations, global telecommunications, global NGOs) the ability of national governments to manage and control these influences is tested. And so we respond by experimenting with global and regional treaties and organizations designed to mitigate and control these influences.
As we have developed each new level of government, original levels have maintained some degrees of sovereignty and passed on others. Family units still have control of some elements of thier lives. Cities and towns still manage many or thier own affairs. As we develop the next tier (whether it be a global organisation, regional ones, or just enforcable treaties) we will retain some decisions at nation level and pass others, that are regionally or globally affecting on to the regional or global level.
As such nation states will always be around, but thier importance and power will diminish.

Answer 2

The EU was designed solely as a competition to the US federated system. So to mimic its success, Europe joined to form the EU, nothing special.
It does not mean that it is the end of the nation-state...in fact, the development of the EU has actually hardened the sentiment of soverignty within these nations and the encouraged the peoples of these countries to seek out ways to further define themselves from other EU members.
So, the nation-state will be around for a long time...and the contruction of Economic bodies like the EU will continue to develop...but not at the expense of a nation's identity.

Answer 3

My personal belief is that the concept of the nation-state is only going to get stronger.

Most separatist movements in the world today are about minority groups wanting to establish their own nation-state
IE- Kurdistan, Tibet, Abkhazia, and others. Eventually these movements will run their natural course.

That is when groups like the EU will step in, when the old world is largely broken up into nation-states these groups will form groups like the EU, African Union, South African Union for economic purposes.

Large states like the US, China, and India will say out, but with these blocks will start to form the basis for a world goverment system, but all of this will be based on the nation state.

Answer 4

You're talking about globalization.

Globalization is the enemy of every human on this planet--it is of no benefit to them and not a viable economic system. Those who benefit will be the UN and corporate cabals who are bent on world domination--the Bushes are a part of this disaster in the making.

Nation states are a viable economic and governmental body because a nation state is local. Ultimately, all politics and all economics "is" local. (They save money, time, and trouble.)

Join the fight against Globalization!!!!