Open AccessOn the Devolution of State Power: Comment on Wagar's "Praxis"
Author(s) -
Salvatore Babones
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
journal of world-systems research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.219
H-Index - 2
ISSN - 1076-156X
DOI - 10.5195/jwsr.1996.76
Subject(s) - devolution (biology) , sovereignty , state (computer science) , power (physics) , proposition , praxis , unitary state , political science , order (exchange) , law and economics , popular sovereignty , law , political economy , sociology , politics , economics , epistemology , philosophy , mathematics , anthropology , human evolution , physics , algorithm , quantum mechanics , finance
When we examine Wagar 's proposition that a universal world-state might, ultimately, devolve the world-state's sovereignty upon its constituent communities,two questions come to mind. First, it seems natural to ask whether or not a particularist nation-statemight not do the same; that is to say, is a world-statea prerequisite for the devolution of state power? Second, and more basically, one may question whether it is likely or even possible that a state would devolve its sovereignty upon its constituents; we know that states have given up sovereignty in order to gain the advantages of membership in larger entities, but have the rulers of a state ever given up state power in favor of lower levels of organization