Customer Reviews

Sovereignty

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Stephen D. Krasner calls into question the nowadays widespread idea that sovereignty is being eroded by different factors (for example, globalization). He points out that, as a matter of fact, the term *sovereignty* has multiple meanings. Ignoring that can be remarkably problematic, because it doesn?t allow us to analyze adequately such an essential concept as sovereignty...

The author says that the term sovereignty is used mainly in four ways. International legal sovereignty refers to the practices that have to do with mutual recognition, while Westphalian sovereignty has to do with *political organization based on the exclusion of external actors from authority structures within a given territory*. Domestic sovereignty refers to the *formal organization of political authority within the state* and the ability of rulers to exercise control within it. Lastly, Interdependence sovereignty takes into account the way in which public authorities regulate the flow of people, information, capital and ideas across the borders of the state.

The different kinds of sovereignty don?t always go together, and can change at different paces. In this book Krasner concentrates on studying International legal sovereignty and Westphalian sovereignty, seeking to show us how they apply in the international system. According to him, those two kinds of sovereignty are good examples of organized hypocrisy, because they are recognized but not always respected. For instance, Westphalian sovereignty (based on the exclusion of external actors) has been violated repeatedly, and several motives (for example minority rights, fiscal responsibility and international security) have been used as pretexts to do so.

Krasner says that *In the international system, no institutional arrangement, including international legal and Westphalian sovereignty, can be taken for granted. A logic of consequences can always prevail over a logic of appropriateness*. He gives quite a number of valid reasons why this happens, and a lot of examples taken from history that help the reader to understand why *organized hypocrisy* pervades in the international system in matters that have to do with sovereignty.

*Sovereignty: Organized Hypocrisy* is certainly not perfect (it tends to be a little repetitive). Despite that, this is the kind of book you won?t regret buying. Why?. I will try to explain that with an example. If you like to read the newspapers, you probably have already noticed that sometimes, in the international realm, actions have nothing to do with the principles that are supposedly recognized and respected by all the states. Stephen D. Krasner tries to explain, at least in part, why that happens...I think he succeeds marvelously, and because of that I strongly recommend this book to you.

Belen Alcat

Sovereignty sounds an out-of-date word in this globalization time. Therefore it seems no much people really want to seriously discuss this topic and let the government and media talk nonsense about it.

This book will tell you the tale of Westphalia still predominate us, either thought or action, especially the hypothetic foreign policy!

I think this book is the best one in sovereignty-related books, for its enough fully detailed collecting and its conclusion, i.e. the fiction of sovereignty during past several centuries.