The Long Cycle of global Politics and the Nation-State

Abstract

In modern times a succession of world powers shaped the global system. The active focus for global organization has always been a world power and that the identity, values and resources of that power have shaped modern world experience. We observe that, since 1500 four states have in turn played a dominant role in the management of global interdependence and therefore fit the description of a world power: Portugal, the Netherlands, Britain and the US. In a fairly regular pattern each world power has been succeeded by another in a process that recalls, though it is not to be confused with the long-term succession of political regimes in a political system lacking regularized elections. One long cycle corresponds to each global power, except in the case of Britain, who has experienced two such cycles.

Keywords

Long Cycle, Global Politics, Global System, Global Power, Nation-State

Citation

Modelski, George, “The Long Cycle of global Politics and the Nation-State”, International Relations, Volume 2, Issue 7 (Fall 2005), pp. 3-30.

Affiliations

• George Modelski, University of Washington