The impact of non-state actors on world politics : a challenge to nation-states.

Throughout modern history, discussion of world politics is essentially a  discussion of nation-states. Nation-states are widely viewed as the only  important actors in world politics. However, nation-states are by no means the  only politically and economically significant actors in world politics. In the post?World War II era, non-state actors are recognized as having important impact  on world politics. This paper critically examines the ways and the extent to  which the emergence of non-state actors such as Multinational Corporations,  Transnational Advocacy Networks, Transnational Diaspora Communities, and  Violent Non-State Actors in world politics affect the relevance of nation-states  who were initially regarded as the sole actors in world politics by the realists.  Realists see nation-states as the central actors in world politics and equally assert  that nation-states can control non-state actors when they really want to. Hence,  they argue that world politics is politics between nation-states. This study uses  qualitative research method, and leans only on secondary data. The findings of  this paper show that state-centric image of world politics is both inaccurate and  potentially damaging for the analysis of world politics. A state-centric focus, no  matter its level of sophistication, can limit the ability of both academics and  policymakers to describe, explain, and manage the complexity of the world  arena.