Global PoliticsThe study of international, or rather global, politics seeks to provide an account of politics in the broadest field. The domain of international politics in the twenty-first century is characterized by the growing number of actors pursuing common and personal interests. It is largely due to the globalized and interdependent nature of the current international political context that the concepts of sovereignty and power deserve further evaluation. The exercise of authority and power are facts as old as time, over the centuries men have tried to explain and understand how and why political authority is organised. Sovereignty is a concept used to explain political power, to attempt to understand the complex interactions that take place as man strives towards the most effective and efficient form of social organization. The purpose of this discussion is to attempt to provide a clearer interpretation of the terms power and sovereignty and gain insight into the relationship between these important concepts that advance our understanding of the organization of political authority. The Emergence of Sovereignty Professor Hinsley, in his aptly titled book Sovereignty (1986:1), defines sovereignty as a concept and not a fact, theory or assumption applied to political power. He says that the term originally expressed the idea that there is a final and absolute authority in the political community (Hinsley 1986: 1). The concepts of sovereignty and state are intertwined and "the concept of sovereignty emerges in the wake of the rise of the state" (Hinsley 1986: 17). While the emergence of the State is a ... means of paper ...... the powers are so closely linked to each other and dependent on each other, that a reorganization of political power will effectively lead to a total change in the language of politics. The sovereign state has been a feature of the international political order for the last three hundred years and evolved from a necessity or propensity for order. A ruler exercises his power through creating and maintaining order and ensuring security. The power of the state to act as a sovereign is continually challenged by forces such as globalization, terrorism and regionalism and the continued existence of a sovereign nation state lies in its effectiveness as an actor and its ability to be an actor in the international community it depends on the power structure of the international scene.