State Devel25(1)
Page 1: States and State Development
Political Map of the World, August 2013
Key countries displayed: Canada, United States, Russia, Brazil, China, India, etc.
Page 2: Country Comparison
Rank order for the following countries:
Brazil, China, France, India, Japan, South Africa, United States
By:
Income per capita
Defense spending (percentage of economy)
Social welfare spending (percentage of economy)
Page 3: States in Comparative Politics
States as the fundamental unit of comparison in comparative politics.
Definition of a state (Max Weber):
A compulsory political organization with continuous operations claiming a monopoly of the legitimate use of force.
Page 4: Components of a State
Territorial unit
People
Sovereignty
Internal
External
Page 5: Terminology Related to States
Commonly interchanged terms but with distinct meanings:
Government: Leaders of a state (elected or appointed).
Nation: A group of people united by shared culture or history.
Page 6: Elements of the State
Essential institutions within a state include:
Military
Police
Courts
Bureaucracy (includes tax collectors, regulators, scientists)
Page 7: Purpose of States
States help mitigate the individual pursuit of conflicting private interests, which often results in negative collective outcomes.
External rules, monitoring, and enforcement agents help create better collective outcomes.
Page 8: Distinctions in Comparative Politics
Key distinctions regarding states:
States and Markets (Governance)
State and Civil Society (Governance)
Strong and Weak States (Capacity)
Autonomous and Dependent States (Governance + Capacity)
Page 9: National-State Development
National states emerged in Europe and spread globally.
Alternatives to national-states include:
City-states
Empires
Tribes/Chiefdoms
Theocracy
Unified world government
Page 10: Western Shift in Power (1500-1900)
Venice identified as the first modern European power, pivotal in trade routes (Silk Road and Spice Routes).
Page 11: Ottoman Empire Trading Impact
Venice faced loss of Eastern trade domination to the Ottoman Empire.
Page 12: European Trade Routes
Major trade routes during the late Medieval/Early Renaissance showed significant interconnectedness among cities such as Bergen, Lisbon, Venice, and more.
Page 13: Colonial Expansion (1500-1900)
Major colonial powers: Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, British, and French.
Highlights the geographical breadth of colonial endeavors across continents.
Page 14: War and National States
The rise of national states linked strongly to warfare rather than long-distance trade.
Concept of "stationary bandits" benefiting over time from investment in territory.
Page 15: Military Superiority
By 1800, military advancements led national states to dominate rivals.
Instances of displacement include:
Spain and the Dutch Republic replaced by Venetian and Portuguese city-states.
Britain seized control from Spain and the Dutch abroad.
France's dominance of Europe in the 1700s and 1800s.
The Union's victory in the American Civil War attributed to resources.
Page 16: Complexity of War (1400-1900)
War became more complex and resource-intensive.
Description of components and progression of knightly warfare, specifically armor parts for protection.
Page 17-20: Miscellaneous Data and Historical Events
References to historical events, primarily military, without significant context provided here.
Page 21: Current U.S. Air Force Structure
Overview of the U.S. Air Force communication and operational networks (2010).
Page 22: Nation-States as Dominant Forms
How nation-states surpassed smaller political units:
Merging of small states into larger units.
Internal pacification led to more productive populations.
Empires struggled with internal integration and legitimacy.
Page 23: State Capacity for War
Big states favored due to their ability to mobilize resources effectively for war preparedness.
Page 24: Funding Wars
Issues surrounding state confiscation for war financing.
Long-term debt as the basis for public and private capital accumulation—necessitating commitment to repayment.
Page 25: States Beyond Europe
Colonization spread European concepts of national states globally in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Page 26: Extractive Colonies
Most colonies under European control existed primarily as extractive arms; limited development of local capacities, except for select regions (like the U.S., Australia).
Page 27: Growth and Recognition of National States
Map illustrates entry years into the UN post-1945, indicating trends in state formation.
Notable early states in Central & Latin America vs. those formed in the Middle East/South Asia.
Page 28: Patterns of Decolonization
Decolonization waves described:
1800s: Americas
1950s: North Africa & Asia
1960-79: sub-Saharan Africa
1990s: post-Soviet Union states.
Page 29: Challenges Post-Decolonization
New state formation in the 20th century, often hindered by underdevelopment and lack of legitimacy.
Page 30: Modern State Functions
Higher-capacity states focus on citizens' well-being and internal legitimacy over external protection.
Services include public health, economic resources, and life-risk insurance (welfare).
Weak states face difficulties providing these essential services.
Page 31: Life Expectancy Data
Data showing global life expectancy trends by state.
Page 32: Welfare Spending Assessment
Examination of national income spent on welfare in various countries via a poll.
Page 33: Public Welfare Spending Variances
Rich states show significantly higher public welfare spending compared to poorer states.
Key components included: pensions, public healthcare, housing, and unemployment benefits.
Page 34: U.S. Defense Spending
U.S. compared to major countries in terms of defense spending, notably standing out next to Russia.
Page 35: Summary of State Development
State as an organizing authority with a specific historical context.
Historical forms of governance vary in effectiveness.
Rise of national states through competitive trade and war culminating in dominance by 1800.
Expansion of national state forms due to colonial powers and subsequent de-colonization.
A focus on collective welfare increasing with state wealth, leading to human development.