Final answer:
In the past 60 years, decolonization has greatly increased the number of sovereign states, changing the political makeup of the world, while globalization has tightly interconnected the world's economies, cultures, and political systems through technology and trade.
Step-by-step explanation:
Over the past 60 years or so, the processes of decolonization and globalization have had significant impacts on the world order. Decolonization led to a substantial increase in independent states, as evidenced by the rise in UN membership from 57 countries before 1950 to well over 190 states today. The end of colonial empires has meant that many countries have achieved sovereignty and took control of their own governance and resources.
Meanwhile, globalization has increased the interconnectedness of the world through trade, political, cultural, and economic ties. It has enabled the dramatic expansion in global processes of production and consumption since the 1970s. This process has been buoyed by advances in technology that improve communication and transport, facilitating the movement of goods, services, people, and ideas across borders.
The combination of these two forces has contributed to a reconfigured global landscape, where independent states are tied into a complex and highly connected international system. This system features both an international division of labor, pitting wealthier workers in core nations against the low-wage labor of peripheral ones, and the spread of cultural elements, as corporations 'Americanize' products to appeal to local sentiments.