Lecture: Modern States

Weber's definition of a state

“Human community that (successfully) claims the monopoly of legitimate use of physical force within a given territory”

Weber’s 3 forms of legitimacy

1.Traditional

2.Charismatic

3.Rational-legal

Traditional legitimacy

The right to rule based on long standing practices and patterns within society, ex. monarchs

Charismatic legitimacy

The right to rule based on extraordinary personal characteristics such as virtue, heroism or sanctity, ex. revolutionary leaders such as Mao Zedong

Rational-legal legitimacy

The right to rule based on their selection according to accepted laws, procedures, and standards, ex. democratically elected rulers such as the US president

How many states are there (in this class)?

193, based on the UN recognized member states

Nation

A named population that shares a historic territory, common myths and cultural traditions, and a belief that they belong together in one political community

Nation-state

Country where the borders of the state overlap with the national identity of the people, the ideal type of state, very rare, ex.Japan

Nationalism

An ideology and movement that promotes a world where national and state borders are congruent

Nations without states

Ex. Kurdistan, nations that overlap internationally recognized state borders

States without (or with multiple) nations

Ex. Turkey, a state that has multiple nations within its borders and no strong sense of national identity, often caused by borders drawn during decolonization that the people had no say in creating

Hobbs explanation for where states come from

Individuals’ desire to live in an orderly society

Tilly's explanation for where states come from

Leaders’ wishees to consolidate power and have control over territory

Herbst’s explanation for where states come from

European colonial inheritance