Research On City And State Relations In Era Of Globalization

Since the late 20th century, globalization has accelerated in breadth and depth, and economic, social, cultural and other aspects of the world have been challenged by this process. The nation-state has been encountering the most serious challenges, so that the nation-state is undergoing a profound rescaling of state power and transformation of state governance. The state has rescaled its power upwards towards supra-national levels of regulation as institutions such as the EU, the IMF and the World Bank and rescaled downwards towards sub-national levels of governance such as city-regions and cities, and devolves other power to civil society and individuals. Associated with the process of globalization and the transformation of state governance, cities are rising worldwide, in the process of which there is an unprecedented wave of large-scale global urbanization, the growth of urban economic power and the rise of global cities, global city-region and global city network. However, the awakening of city consciousness in national politics and global governance is an invisible and real "urban revolution." Under the rise of cities’ political influence, cities not only obtain greater autonomy in their own governance, but also began extending their power to levels of nation-state and to the process of state governance. The city challenges the dominant position of nation-state and began to establish their own position in multi-levels of governance, so that the adjustment of the city and state relations in different governance processes gradually become one of key mechanisms. Therefore, this study aim to researching city and state relations and it’s changing process, which is a very valuable view to understand processes of urban governance, national governance and global governance under globalization.First of all, this study defines concepts of the city and the state, based on which a theoretical framework of city and state relations in the era of globalization is constructed. Secondly, the historical evolution of the city and state relations is investigated to reveal the general trend and change of the city and state relations under globalization. And then, this study employs a multi-scalar theoretical framework to explore the city and state relations in the process of urban governance, state governance and global governance. Finally, the study argues the nature of the city and state relations in the era of globalization, and point outs the future of the city and state relations in theory and reality.According to the research plan, the study is conducted in the following four aspects:First, Constructing The Concept and Theoretical Framework of The City and State Relations.In Chapter One, starting from the definition of basic concepts of globalization, the city, and the state from the perspective of territoriality, this study refines the concept of the city and state relations, so as to form the basic theoretical framework of global city and state relations. City and state relations refer to as a structural form and process in which city and state as territorial organization influences mutually in processes of institution transformation, governance systems and policies choices. Under globalization, processes of de-territorialisation and re-territorialisation promote cities and states to penetrate their territorial borders. Thus, city and state relations spread into multi scalars including city, nation-state and global level.Second, Investigating the Historical Evolution of The City and State Relations.In Chapter Two, this study explore the emergence and development of the city and state relations in the world history, which is aimed to reveal the overall changes of the city and state relations in the era of globalization and the logic of historical evolution of this relations. In the historical evolution of city and state relations, there are two main trends:from cities dominant to states dominant and from segregated to integrated. However, city and state relations begin to move from integrations toward separations and from state dominance to collaboration.Third, Exploring the City and State Relations From the Process of Urban Governance, State Governance and Global Governance.In Chapter Three, It analyzes how the city and its power system is embedded in the national state system and examines the influence of adjustments of state institutions to the city, and then investigates how the transformation of state governance and national policy changes the city. In the era of globalization, state foundational institutions define basic contents of city and state relations, and state basic institutions regulate the regime of city. The transformation of state institution causes changing roles of city and state, and induces the transition of city and state relations. Due to changes in state governance, the model of city and its governance has transformed to adapt to the process of globalization. And the adjustments of national urban policies are the most direct instruments of nation-state to intervene into urban affairs and regulation city and state relations.In Chapter Four, It examines challenges and risks of the rise of cities to nation state and its governance, discusses functions of cities in the governance of nation state and relations between cities and the transformation of state governance. In the process of nation-state governance, the state is inextricably linked with cities. There is one side of conflicts as well as the other side of interdependences in city and state relations. The massive urbanization and the rise of global cities have brought challenges to nation-state governance, and the growth of city power has formed huge pressures for states. However, cities become increasingly important to state governance, since they provide political space for state governance and support the transformation of state governance and the production of new state space under the process of globalization.In Chapter Five, It describes the increasing roles of cities in global governance, discusses approaches that cities engage into global governance and the advantages of cities in global governance, and then argues non-substitute roles of nation state in global governance and transformation approaches of nation state. In the process of global governance, there is not an opposite relationship between city and state. They exist in both conflicts and interdependences. Nation-state could not dispel the roles and functions of global cities in the process of global governance. Global cities could not completely replace the role of nation-state in global governance.Finally, in Chapter Six, this study discusses the future of the city and state relations. There is a tension between the city and the state, that is, the city and the state presents not a simple "zero-sum" relationship between life and death, but a dialectical relationship full with conflicts and interdependence. In this dialectical relationship, the city and the state relations will move towards a "politics of scale " in the future. Cities, states and their governance are permeated by much of the strengths from multi scales, while they are also involved in the governance of other scales. Meta-theory is an important theoretical approach for the city and state relations to promote the development of urban politics and urban governance studies, enlarge the view of state theory and state governance research and innovate the studies and theories of global governance.