politics lesson 2 - politics and the state

what is politics

study of the states and what they’re doing

what is the dominant political form of political organization globally

the state: all land is claimed by a state

what is the state’s impact and importance

the state organizes society and the economy, and basically determines how we live and die

how does max weber define the state

as a human community that claims the monopoly on the legitimate use of physical force within a given territory

key elements to webers view of the state

• territory is a fundamental characteristic of the state

• anarchy emerges if there’s an absence of the state

• individuals can only use physical force to the permitted extent

• domination: the state is a relation of human domination supported by legitimate violence, requiring obedience from the dominated

what are weber’s 3 forms of authority

1. traditional

2. charisma

3. legal authority

what is sovereignty + what does weber say sovereignty is linked to

supreme political authority within a specifiec territory

• weber says sovereignty is linked to the state

what are the 2 dimensions of sovereignty

1. internal dimension: embodied conceptually within a monarch or a democratic system by ‘the ppl’\

• usually represented through parliamentary body where no other authority stands above them

2. external dimension: (state sovereignty)

• each state has the right to determine its own internal affairs without external interference

what are heywoods 5 organizational features of the state

1. state is sovereign

2. state institutions are public

3. state is an exercise in legitimation (making supreme/authoritation decisions)

4. state is an instrument of domination (capacity to ensure laws are obeyed)

5. state is a territorial association

what’s the legal definition of a state (criteria for a sovereign state)

1933 montevideo criteria

• defined territory

• permanent population

• government is capable of maintaining effective control over its territory

• government is capable of conducting international relations with others

state intervention — define “intervention realms” and “state capacity + globalization”

intervention realms: poli sci examines why states intervene in society, the economy, culture, and domestic life

state capacity and globalization: state intervention tied to state capacity + sovereignty

• globalization raises key questions regarding how state capacity + sovereignty are affected

etymology of “the nation”

derived from latin “natio” : to be born

definition of “nation”

psycho-social construct: exists because its members define it and regard themselves as a nation

• collective identity grounded in shared history and culture

emergence of nations

emerged with the modern state in the post-westphalian era to signify the body of citizens constituting a sovereign people

difference between state and nation

state: institutional/territorial structure

nation: people/identity

• eventually merged into the modern state system (sovereignty, nationality and territoriality)

what are the forms of nationalism

ethnic: shared biological descent, ancestry, or cultural tied

• can have negatives like racial nationalism (nazis)

civic: based on shared citizenship and political values within a multi-ethnic society

what is a nation-state

politcal control of a specified territory linked to a specified people, representing the ideal of a nationalist ideology

(focus on borders, citizenship, and control)