Description
Book SynopsisAfter nearly six centuries of emergence and world dominance, the sovereign state now has a globally widespread competitor that frequently manages to surpass its capabilities in the areas of wealth, security, and self-determination. This book will show that in region after region throughout the world partially independent territories (including Hong Kong, Cayman Islands, Kurdistan, New Caledonia, and others) tend to be wealthier and more secure than their sovereign state counterparts. Often ignored because of their small size, lack of militaries, and divided powers, the partially independent territories that produce these advantages are responsible for nearly one-fifth of global capital flows, serve as solutions for some of the world''s most intractable nationalistic disputes, and furnish important capabilities for sovereign states. The existence and capabilities of these polities contradict widely held assumptions of sovereign state pre-eminence and give rise to a range of puzzling iss
Trade ReviewWhile his approach is that of a social scientist rather than an international lawyer, his research and conclusions offer useful contributions to the continuing debate among both lawyers and international relations experts over the meaning of statehood, sovereignty, minority rights, and self-determination in the twenty-first century. Moreover, Surpassing the Sovereign State is generally well written and demonstrates broad knowledge of the many situations that it examines. * Hurst Hannum, Tufts University, The American Journal of International Law *
Table of ContentsPreface ; PART I: THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK ; 1. Introduction ; 2. Partial Independence Advantages and Evolution ; PART II: SELF-DETERMINATION ; 3. Domestic and International Structural Amendment ; 4. Civil Order through Conventional Rules in the British Context: The British Dominions and Northern Ireland ; 5. From Secessionism to Mutual Agreement in the American Context: The Case of Puerto Rico ; 6. Sham Federacy: France's Indochinese Free States, China's Autonomous Regions, South Africa's Bantustans, and America's Indian Territories ; PART III: ECONOMIC STATUS, SECURITY, AND DYNAMICS ; 7. Sovereign State Weakness ; 8. Wealth and Security Advantages of Partial Independence ; 9. Predicting the Dynamics of Partially Independent Territories ; 10. Conclusion ; Appendix 1: Partially Independent Territories Past and Present ; Appendix 2: Negotiations Proposing Regional Autonomy ; Appendix 3: Sham Federacy after 1946 ; Appendix 4: Colonies in the International System 1900-2008 ; References
