More Sovereigns Not Less?

Abstract

With the issues of rising global problems that can only be solved by collective effort and enforcement outside of the Westphalian identity, the recent trend has been even further atomization towards sovereignty, not convergence. Meaning even less faith in centralization and more toward individualism despite the fact that cultural and economic homogeneity is dead in a digitalized world. Several emergent or existent independence-minded efforts come to the fore: Kurdistan, Catalonia, Scotland, South Sudan, Kosovo, Taiwan, Tibet, Trans Dneper, Western Sahara, etc., and now, Brexit. Given these new trends for more sovereignty, any binding collective agreements become difficult, promoting more leakage, more exceptions, and thus compromised global outcomes. It is highly doubtful that expansion of Westphalian countries will lead to better world solutions, yet are there other reasons to create more sovereigns?

Is state sovereignty absolute as world interdependence grows?