As democracy spreads throughout Europe and Asia, there has been a growing number of governmental and non-governmental organizations, as well as a movement toward regional integration. These trends have necessitated a degree of compromise between national sovereignty and supranationalism. Consequently, the concept of state sovereignty, which formerly included the concepts of supremacy, indivisibility, and inalienability, is now being redefined. Sovereignty is becoming more relative, as nation states concede a degree of their authority to international organizations.
Feminism emphasizes that humanity is neither noble nor base and nations, big or small, are equal.
Nation states should be able to integrate, as long as they respect each other, and they should not exclude other nations on the grounds of sovereignty. Democracy rests on the premise that sovereignty belongs to the people rather than the ruler. During the latter part of the 20th century, the concept of popular sovereignty predominated international thinking. For example, the entry of a state into the European Union under the Maastricht Treaty required the approval by a plebiscite in that state. Since European integration is not forced or coerced, but is a natural development founded on the concept of relative sovereignty and on respect for people's will, the integration progress in Europe has been generally harmonious.