THE LINKAGE BETWEEN GLOBALISATION CONSTITONALISM, DEMOCRACY, DEVELOPMENT AND CIVIC EDUCATION.
Constitutionalism, globalization, democracy development and civic education have considerably shaped the political landscapes of many countries. One great thinker Aristotle once said that a person who does not get involved in the affairs of the state is either a beast or a goddess. This translates into the fact that the livelihood of every human being is influenced by the political development in his environment.
This paper seeks to discuss the linkage between constitutionalism, globalization, civic education democracy and development. Constitutionalism is the maxim that dictates that those who rule must have limited powers and must be accountable for their actions so that the ruled should also exercise their freedoms. In other words it is the rule of the law and not by arbitration. According to Soanes and Stevenson (2003) (11ed) globalization is the process where businesses operate at global scale. It is the regard of phenomenon at world class level without taking into account one’s own views. According to Curriculum Development Center (2010:97) ‘globalization means worldwide or extending to all parts of the world’. Other scholars like Steger view globalization as a ‘multidimensional series of social processes which create, multiply, gives rise to and intensify social interchange and interdependence on a global level, while, at the same time it gives rise to an ever growing sense of connection between the local and the distant’ Steger (2003:13).
The principle of electing officials to represent the electorate is said to be democracy while development is desirable improvement in the quality of life of humans. The increase in social, economic and political life of man. Democracy is directly linked to the concept of governance. The principle of elections, and therefore enforceable accountability, is a cornerstone of democratic governance.
Civic education is course that deals with rights and duties of citizen and the relationship of government towards its people. Civic Education is an important component of education that cultivates citizens to participate in the public life of a democracy, discharge their responsibilities with the necessary knowledge especially in this globalization era.
These terms link each other either in a negative or in a positive sense. We see that constitutionalism promotes the sovereignty of states by stating the limits in as far as their power is concentrated. As a result many countries have been able to maintain their sovereignty. Globalization comes with a different weapon or characteristic of diminishing the sovereignty of states especially the third world. This is because globalization is about integration of various state powers into one hence the individual powers of states diminish eventually. Consequently globalization weakens constitutionalism because state power is reduced. According to Curriculum Development Center (2010:2) practices of adhering firmly to a constitution is called constitutionalism. Hence constitutionalism represents the submission of political power to law while globalization, in contrast, represents the submission of political power to economic power .The borders shrink to pave way for globalization which is the integration of world systems into one place. Constitutionalism is in the face of being wiped by globalization. The future civilization and constitutionalism is largely at stake here since the power of states is heading to a point of diminishing.
The pressures of globalization in recent times have meant that citizenship has increasingly come to be seen in global terms due to factors such as transnational migration, the homogenization of culture and the development of supranational groupings that challenge local versions of citizenship, Velarde (2000). Economic globalization has increased world wealth, but only at the price of deepening inequalities between countries leading to the deterioration of the environment of which the damage can be irreversible.
The integration due globalization has enhanced the interdependence of the world economy. Globalization implies the opening up of local and nationalistic perspectives to a broader outlook of an interconnected world with free transfer of capital, goods and services across national frontiers. It is an inevitable phenomenon that will bring the world closer through the exchange of culture, economic and information activities. Civic knowledge is concerned with the content or what citizens ought to know; the subject matter. Questions like; ‘how does the government established by the Constitution embody the purposes, values and principles of democracy’. Civic education in a democratic society is civic skills. If citizens are to exercise their rights and discharge their responsibilities as members of self-governing communities, they need to acquire civic education skills hence promoting democracy and in the long development can be achieved. Civic education brings citizens to a very fundamental level of understanding various forms of political phenomena since it equips the citizens with the civic knowledge including their right to full participation in national or transnational issues. It justifies the greater power that is exercised to protect citizens´ rights. Promoting the healthy functioning of constitutional democracy. With civic education citizens become attentive to public affairs, learning about and deliberating on constitutional values and principles thereby enhancing and promoting the tenets of constitutionalism, democracy, development and finally become part of the global world. Civic education in a democracy is education in self government. Democracy is a dialogue, a discussion, a deliberative process in which citizens engage deliberating on pertinent issues. Globalization process on the other hand moves at different speeds in different spheres of society such as business and communication as it limits the democracy. Here the autonomy of states is under threat.
Globalization is most frequently discussed in economic terms although much has also been written on globalization as a postmodern development, a political transformation, and an ideology. In short globalization is development to another level. Globalization is the development that has integrated and expanded the markets of goods and capital in the sphere of democracy fueled by civic education.
Globalization has taken a center stage in the development of technology, especially information and communications that facilitate movement of capital, people, and ideas, internet inclusive. Globalization has the parallel expansion of other quasi-public and private institutions of governance. Many critics assert that this expanded role comes at the expense of the power and authority of states. Globalization a form of development promotes direct personal communication linkages deepening bonds among people working in business, government, and contributing to the growth of a transnational civil society. Mc Gee (1995) identified emerging spatial patterns as a result of globalization namely: Polarization of development, emergency of mega-urban regions, formation of world cities and international urban hierarchies transboarder regions, international networks and development corridors hence the reason to say globalization is an emerging stage of development.
In a nutshell civic education is the fountain of knowledge needed for political dispensation and enhances constitutionalism thereby promoting democracy and development. Development has been influenced by civic education, democracy and now by globalization. While this is so globalization is a stage in development that weakens the ideals of constitutionalism and poses a challenge to constitutionalism and democracy (the state is weakened).
