Abstrakt
In this paper I argue that developments in communication technology at the end of the 20th century and continuing to the new millennium, which brought significant changes to the modes of communication and human interactions, also entailed a significant change in the relations between political systems. Drawing on the terminology and basic argument of Deutsch's communication theory I identify six key abilities which a political system must perform if it aims to survive.
I claim that the more a political system fails in creating, receiving and processing information, as well as creating, applying and reflecting its decisions based on this information, the more vulnerable it is. I argue that a consequence of a failure to perform these abilities results in the destruction of the system by a loss of internal and external sovereignty through the system's control loss of legitimacy, overcoming by neighbouring systems, or both.
By stating these criteria I aim to outline a possible approach in the study of the sustainability of political systems.