Research Paper on:
Graham E. Fuller's Article on Nation State Weaknesses

Unformatted Sample Text from the Research Paper:
are redrawn along ethnic lines. Fuller presents an intriguing argument that makes some astute observations about the colonial past of Asia and Africa, and the weaknesses of the current  system. However, the predictions that he formulates on how the national borders will evolve over the next few decades is certainly open to debate. Fuller (1997) begins his vision  of the future of the nation-state system by stating that the present system of nation-states, which consists of nations whose borders were drawn "with barely passing regard for the ethnic  and cultural wishes of their inhabitants," is obsolete (p. 11). However, Fuller does not see this as the end of nationalism, but rather that self-defined ethnic groups will provide the  basic foundation upon which a new international order will be built. In other words, Fuller, sees current nation-states breaking up, but only as a first step in a cycle of  state regeneration (1997). Furthermore, Fuller predicts that these new ethnic states will form new associations with other states and peoples -- "this time as voluntary members of a new association  rather than compulsory members in a losing enterprise" (1997, p. 11). Fuller does not present this as a utopian vision of a new world, or even a positive trend,  as he feels this will cause "endless subdivision of states," possibly doubling, or even tripling the membership of the UN (1997, p. 11). As evidence of this, Fuller points to  the dissolution of the Soviet Union, which immediately gave rise to eleven new ethnic states. This was followed by communist Yugoslavia, which gave birth to five new nations. He goes  on to list over examples, predicting that China will follow the same route. Fuller then turns his attention to the colonial past and argues relative to its inequities, asserting