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

1. Territorial unit

2. People

3. 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.