‘The political dimension of globalization’ looks at political arrangements beyond the nation-state. Traditional politics harboured an ‘us’ and ‘them’ mentality. Contemporary globalization has led to a permeation of those borders. The modern nation-state came into being after the Protestant Reformation, characterized by centralized government and self-determination. The rise of organizations such as the United Nations has threatened the nation-state, according to globalization sceptics. However, national governments still hold significant powers. There has been a rise in the number of supra-territorial institutions, operating from the local level all the way to the global level. Some commentators ultimately see a global civil society, although critics question the feasibility of this