Commonwealth unification movement
Encyclopedia
The Commonwealth unification movement is a largely unorganised socio-political
movement advocating closer political
affiliation between member states of the Commonwealth of Nations
. In some cases, this movement seeks the eventual formation of some type of supranational, federalist
or economic union within the Commonwealth.
These movements exist most prominently within Western countries
. They most commonly support the possibility of union between developed
members of the Commonwealth, generally excluding states
that are under-developed
or politically unstable. Most commonly associated with these movements are Australia
, Canada
, New Zealand
and the United Kingdom
, for which the acronym CANZUK is sometimes used, though Singapore
and Brunei
could also be included. An economic union consisting of these four states would become the third largest economy in the world after the Eurozone
and the United States
.
In the UK, the movement is sometimes seen as a possible alternative to the European Union
. The United Kingdom Independence Party
(UKIP) seeks to withdraw from the EU and strengthen ties between Britain and the Commonwealth, which would include the negotiation of a Commonwealth Free Trade Area.
Various names have been proposed for the possibility of such a union, such as the Commonwealth Confederation and the United Commonwealth.
Political sociology
Contemporary political sociology involves much more than the study of the relations between state and society . Where a typical research question in political sociology might have been: "Why do so few American citizens choose to vote?" or even, "What difference does it make if women get elected?" ...
movement advocating closer political
Politics
Politics is a process by which groups of people make collective decisions. The term is generally applied to the art or science of running governmental or state affairs, including behavior within civil governments, but also applies to institutions, fields, and special interest groups such as the...
affiliation between member states of the Commonwealth of Nations
Commonwealth of Nations
The Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...
. In some cases, this movement seeks the eventual formation of some type of supranational, federalist
Federalism
Federalism is a political concept in which a group of members are bound together by covenant with a governing representative head. The term "federalism" is also used to describe a system of the government in which sovereignty is constitutionally divided between a central governing authority and...
or economic union within the Commonwealth.
These movements exist most prominently within Western countries
Western world
The Western world, also known as the West and the Occident , is a term referring to the countries of Western Europe , the countries of the Americas, as well all countries of Northern and Central Europe, Australia and New Zealand...
. They most commonly support the possibility of union between developed
Developed country
A developed country is a country that has a high level of development according to some criteria. Which criteria, and which countries are classified as being developed, is a contentious issue...
members of the Commonwealth, generally excluding states
Sovereign state
A sovereign state, or simply, state, is a state with a defined territory on which it exercises internal and external sovereignty, a permanent population, a government, and the capacity to enter into relations with other sovereign states. It is also normally understood to be a state which is neither...
that are under-developed
Human Development Index
The Human Development Index is a composite statistic used to rank countries by level of "human development" and separate "very high human development", "high human development", "medium human development", and "low human development" countries...
or politically unstable. Most commonly associated with these movements are Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
and the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, for which the acronym CANZUK is sometimes used, though Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
and Brunei
Brunei
Brunei , officially the State of Brunei Darussalam or the Nation of Brunei, the Abode of Peace , is a sovereign state located on the north coast of the island of Borneo, in Southeast Asia...
could also be included. An economic union consisting of these four states would become the third largest economy in the world after the Eurozone
Eurozone
The eurozone , officially called the euro area, is an economic and monetary union of seventeen European Union member states that have adopted the euro as their common currency and sole legal tender...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
In the UK, the movement is sometimes seen as a possible alternative to the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
. The United Kingdom Independence Party
United Kingdom Independence Party
The United Kingdom Independence Party is a eurosceptic and right-wing populist political party in the United Kingdom. Whilst its primary goal is the UK's withdrawal from the European Union, the party has expanded beyond its single-issue image to develop a more comprehensive party platform.UKIP...
(UKIP) seeks to withdraw from the EU and strengthen ties between Britain and the Commonwealth, which would include the negotiation of a Commonwealth Free Trade Area.
Various names have been proposed for the possibility of such a union, such as the Commonwealth Confederation and the United Commonwealth.
See also
- British EmpireBritish EmpireThe British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
- Commonwealth of NationsCommonwealth of NationsThe Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...
- Commonwealth realmCommonwealth RealmA Commonwealth realm is a sovereign state within the Commonwealth of Nations that has Elizabeth II as its monarch and head of state. The sixteen current realms have a combined land area of 18.8 million km² , and a population of 134 million, of which all, except about two million, live in the six...
- Imperial FederationImperial FederationImperial Federation was a late-19th early-20th century proposal to create a federated union in place of the existing British Empire.-Motivators:...
- Political unionPolitical unionA political union is a type of state which is composed of or created out of smaller states. Unlike a personal union, the individual states share a common government and the union is recognized internationally as a single political entity...
- FederalismFederalismFederalism is a political concept in which a group of members are bound together by covenant with a governing representative head. The term "federalism" is also used to describe a system of the government in which sovereignty is constitutionally divided between a central governing authority and...
- Supranationalism