POLS1201 - Sovereignty

Sovereignty

The principle that a state has supreme authority within its borders and is free from external interference.

Internal Sovereignty

The state's ability to maintain control and authority over its population and territory (e.g. through law, government, order).

External Sovereignty

The state’s recognition by other states as independent and equal in the international system.

Westphalian Sovereignty

Originating from the 1648 Peace of Westphalia, it asserts that each state has exclusive control over its territory and domestic affairs.

Sovereignty as Responsibility

Modern rethinking (e.g. under R2P) that states have a responsibility to protect their citizens — if they fail, intervention may be justified.

Challenged Sovereignty

Globalisation, humanitarian intervention, transnational threats (like pandemics or climate change) challenge traditional sovereignty.

Contested Sovereignty

Issues like Taiwan, Palestine, or Kosovo show that sovereignty is not absolute, but politically and socially contested.

Socially Constructed Sovereignty

Sovereignty is not natural — it is an evolving norm, shaped by historical and social contexts (constructivist idea).

Realism

Sovereignty is essential for state survival and power. States must protect it and avoid outside interference.

Liberalism

Supports sovereignty but believes international cooperation and norms can help states flourish. Sometimes justifies intervention when states violate human rights.

Constructivism

Sovereignty is a socially constructed idea, not fixed — it changes over time based on norms and shared understandings. Explains how sovereignty changes as ideas and norms evolve.

Postcolonialism

Critiques how sovereignty is unevenly respected — Western powers often violate the sovereignty of Global South countries. Highlights how colonial legacies distort sovereignty in Global South.

Critical Theory

Questions who benefits from the current sovereignty regime and how it may hide domination or inequality.

Legal Positivism

Sovereignty is defined by legal recognition and non-intervention, codified in international law (e.g. UN Charter Article 2.1 & 2.7).

Statehood

Legal status of being a state, typically meeting Montevideo Convention criteria.

Nation-State

A state whose population shares a common national identity.

Montevideo Criteria

Four qualifications for statehood: territory, population, government, capacity for relations.

Recognition

International acceptance of a state’s legitimacy.

Sovereignty as a Social Construct

View that sovereignty is shaped by historical and social norms.

R2P

Challenges sovereignty when states fail to protect populations.

Globalisation

Weakens traditional sovereignty as issues cross borders (e.g., climate, finance).

Human Rights

Can override sovereignty when abuses occur.

UN Charter

Legal foundation affirming sovereignty but also setting limits (e.g., human rights).

Self-Determination

Right of peoples to choose their political status.

Colonial Legacy

Former colonies often struggle with fragmented sovereignty.

Indigenous Sovereignty

Claims by Indigenous groups to self-rule within states.

Challenges to Sovereignty

Includes interventions, global governance, economic pressures.

City-State

A sovereign city with its own government and territory.

Feudalism

A hierarchical system where lords controlled land and owed allegiance to monarchs.

Jean Bodin

Early theorist of sovereignty, promoted strong central authority.

Thomas Hobbes

Argued for a sovereign to avoid chaos, introduced the concept of the Leviathan.

State of Nature

Hypothetical condition of humanity without political order.

Taxation

Crucial for funding state functions and war.

Charles Tilly

Stated “war made the state, and the state made war.”

Hendrik Spruyt

Argued states won out due to efficiency and engagement ability.

Peace of Westphalia

Defined the state as holding the monopoly on the legitimate use of force.

Max Weber

Defined the state as holding the monopoly on the legitimate use of force.

Montevideo Convention

International agreement defining statehood criteria.

Westphalian Sovereignty

Non-interference by external actors.

Internal/Popular Sovereignty

Legitimacy derived from the consent of the governed.

Responsibility to Protect (R2P)

States must protect citizens or face possible intervention.

Pluralism (Bull)

Endorses state order, non-intervention.

Solidarism (Bull)

Prioritises justice, humanitarian concerns.

Catharine MacKinnon

Feminist critic of sovereignty’s role in protecting inequality.

Cosmopolitanism

Global citizenship view, sovereignty as limiting.

Booth (1991)

Called sovereignty a “protection racket.”

Pourmokhtari (2013)

Critiques colonial imposition of Western sovereignty.

Berlin Conference (1884)

Formalised colonisation of Africa.

Terra Nullius

Legal doctrine treating land as “unowned.”

Kuokkanen et al (2025)

Defined Indigenous sovereignty as self-determination without interference.

Nation

Community with shared cultural or historical ties.

Imagined Community (Anderson)

Nations are socially constructed identities.

Nationalism

Political ideology prioritising national self-rule and identity.