12AXES · EXPLORE AN AXIS
Global relations axis: Internationalism and Sovereignty
Global relations asks how decisions should balance international cooperation with national independence. It focuses on shared institutions and sovereignty. It is not a measure of liking other countries, travelling, patriotism or personal identity.
Reviewed 2026-09-29 · 12axes.org editorial guide
What does Internationalism mean?
Internationalism gives more weight to cooperation and shared international decision-making. It does not imply support for every international organisation or for intervention in another country.
What does Sovereignty mean?
Sovereignty gives more weight to independent national decision-making. It does not necessarily imply hostility to trade, diplomacy or cooperation on a particular issue.
A trade-off to think through
You might favour a cross-border environmental agreement while objecting to an international body overriding a domestic decision. Both views can appear in your answers. A percentage summarises that set of trade-offs; it cannot explain the institutional reasons behind them.
How it relates to the other axes
Conflict asks separately about diplomacy and force. Migration concerns movement across borders. Environment and Technology may involve cross-border problems, while Governance asks where authority should reside. These related topics need not move in the same direction.
Where do your answers fall?
Finish the 60- or 288-question test to see this axis in your private result. Each pair sums to 100. The score is derived from your responses, not from a population ranking. A midpoint can reflect neutral answers or opposing preferences that balance out. Review the statements before treating a percentage as a description of your whole outlook. Neither pole is presented as the correct answer.
Read this axis alongside the other eleven
These are conceptual reading prompts, not observed correlations or predictions about your answers.
| Related axis | A distinction to consider |
|---|---|
| Economy | Economic preferences do not determine support for sharing authority across borders. |
| Welfare | Basic services can be pursued through national institutions or international cooperation. |
| Civil liberties | International arrangements may raise rights questions, but sovereignty alone does not determine liberty. |
| Democracy | Participation and accountability must be considered separately at each level of decision-making. |
| Social change | Support for domestic reform does not imply internationalism. |
| Conflict | Cooperation through institutions differs from the choice between diplomacy and force. |
| Migration | Joining international institutions does not automatically imply open migration rules. |
| Environment | Environmental problems can cross borders while the preferred governance response remains debatable. |
| Religion & state | Religious influence within a state is distinct from that state’s international commitments. |
| Technology | Research and regulation can cross borders; acceptable technological risk is another question. |
| Governance | Sharing power internationally and distributing power within a country are different scales of governance. |
Explore the other eleven axes
These links identify other topics in the framework. They do not imply measured statistical relationships. Detailed guides are available for the first six axes; the remaining links open their explanations in the overview.