World Government and Its Discontents: Perspectives from Central Asia

Abstract

This Thesis considers the concept of World Government from historical and theoretical perspectives and tests its salience through interviews with Central Asian scholar interlocutors (N=12). The first three chapters describe the contemporary global governance system, and examine World Government models through international relations (IR) theories. Chapter Four aims to present Central Asian perspectives on the viability of a future World Government. Three hypotheses are tested by this Thesis: (H1) the infeasibility of World Government, (H2) the intermediacy of global governance system, and (H3) the United Nations model for a future World Government. From among the three hypotheses, the first failed to be disproven given responses by Central Asian scholars interviewed, claiming that sovereignty and national interests of states are the main obstacles for the creation of World Government. The second and third hypotheses were disproven during a series of interviews, as the Central Asian scholars considered the current global governance as being in crisis, and thus incapable of evolving into a more centralized form of government. And though opinions were partially positive about the UN, many of the interlocutors also considered the UN as a weak institution, one which is in need of being reformed or even replaced by a new intergovernmental organization.