Micropolitics. (c2010)

Abstract

In the sphere of politics and international affairs the world powers and the regional powers are always given precedence over the weaker states. This is incongruous with the study of political interplay as most worldly conflicts include belligerents or participants from the weaker states. However, the politics of the weak states have been debated and argued about many times by political scientists and pundits with little avail. Perhaps the survivability and struggle of these weaker states can be better understood when looking at the weakest and smallest actors in the world system, the entities that have become to be seen as microstates. In this work, I wish to examine these microstates in an effort to further understand the impact of foreign affairs in the realm of international relations of these entities that managed to survive to this day while being the most vulnerable and susceptible states of our times. Little has been established on these microstates, yet their sovereignty, self determination and autonomy is a dream of many bigger states, which wish to accomplish what these minuscule actors have done. Moreover, the maintenance and future presence of the states serve as a harbinger to other stronger states and, also, a scale from which to operate in terms of multilateral and bilateral relations. In this research, I validate these countries' presence in the international system and go even further to prove their comparative aptitude in the world of politics. This is prepared by comparing their tumultuous histories with their decently anchored state and moored worldly existence in the current system. By considering the trials and tribulations of the new world system and the nature of international society, one can notice the advent of these often overlooked states. The study also stretches to include the infrequently addressed dynamic of the microstate and the advantages of vulnerability, political proportionality and state self-image using benchmark examples, historical verification and empirical proof. This study will not only focus on the past and present situation of the selected microstates, but will also concentrate on their recent record of stability and their growing stealth in the future of world politics as actors of all prospects. Solutions to the betterment of these microstates will be establish in the concluding part of the body of the research.