The State is characterized by four essential characteristics of a state which include population, territory, sovereignty, and government. Some sources list six or more characteristics when describing a state. Other characteristics may include a food supply, written records, and some type of commerce, but I will only discuss the four essentials which are Population, Territory, Sovereignty and government. The characteristic Population in the state: the state must have a population which may be variable in size. Populations may or may not share general political beliefs, but the ones that do are the most stable. Mobility of the population can affect its political and governmental stability. Territory: States have established territorial boundaries. …show more content…
The first distinction is between states that fail because of a lack of relevant capacities and those that fail to promote the interests of all their inhabitants through political choice, often with the intention of benefiting the incumbent regime and its supporters at the expense of another group within the state. Robert Mugabe’s ongoing manipulation of ZANU—PF and state power in Zimbabwe is a paradigmatic example of a regime, choosing to deny basic rights to certain segments of its population in an attempt to bolster regime security. The dynamics in this case are somewhat different from instances where a regime may well want to restore order to part of its territory but lacks the relevant capacities to do so. These dynamics are apparent in, for instance, the Ugandan control of formal and/or informal markets. In this view, weak or failing state institutions provide an environment from which such warlords and ‘spoilers’ can profit. The third set of contingent factors concerns the political economy of state failure, especially the adoption by governments of ‘bad’ macroeconomic policies resulting in fiscal deficits and balance of payments crises, and the paradoxical effects of structural adjustment policies encouraged by a variety of international donors. As Nicolas van de Walle has argued, both of these factors encouraged a ‘hollowing out’ of the state which, in turn, increased ‘the chances that minor political incidents and disputes could cause the descent into failure.’ Such political economies did not, however, automatically produce failed states. Hence, although Zaire/the DRC
Federalist- states have to obey the central government but are able to keep some power by making their own laws.
States will also compete in attracting residents as people will shift to the state that favors them mostly. As discussed in our textbook, “Scholars continue to debate the effects of the evolution of federalism on civil society: Some argue that a strong national government does not result in weakening of community associations, while others believe that it does” (Cropf,
State-building was defined as culturally distinct groups who come together to form a new state by accepting a single culture. A dominant example would be the United States. The United States became a huge inspiration to many of the European countries when they had won their independence. They fought during the American Revolution for a democracy, they so desperately wanted the people to have a say in the government. Freedom, liberty, and rights are what drove them, they never gave up on their fight for freedom. The United States people were able to separate their differences by coming together and forming a new nation by accepting one single culture. This is what the European countries hoped that they could someday accomplish the same
The relationship between a local government and its people is typically a combined form of stability, as well as discordant moments of tension and rising-to-dramatic change. More specifically, the political climate of the local government differs depending on how those people view the three aspects of their governmental calls and needs: rights and responsibility of the people, obligations of their government, and limits on the local governmental authority.
2. The state is a melting pot. If you value diversity, Florida has it. It attracts people from all over the Americas and brings in people from Europe, Asia and
To this day, their political organization, economy, social organization, and religious beliefs are the four major elements that make them who they are as a whole.
up of three parts. First, a state is a structure with parts that work together
For decades, Uganda’s economy has suffered through disappointing economic policies and instabilities. These setbacks have been put forth by a chronically unreliable government, leaving it as one of the world’s poorest countries. Uganda’s weak infrastructure and corrupt government are two of the primary constraints against a continuation of economic growth. Uganda has ongoing military involvement in the War on Congo, wrongly taking money from the already deprived country and into the war. Many villages in Uganda also have to waste their precious money and time in pursuit of hiding places. They are faced with a group known as, The Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA). LRA is infamous for their twenty years of massacre and slaughter in Uganda, causing an estimated 1.5 million internally displayed persons. Several people are questioning why the LRA is still terrorizing the country and criticizing the government’s commitment to putting an end this horrific group. The Inspector General of Government (IGG) ...
Peacebuilding only became prominent in the Post-Cold War period and is the newest in the measures for achieving peace and security (Busumtwi-Sam, Module 7). It rests on the premise that democratization, liberalization and pacification are idea for long term peace and security (Tziarras,2012,3). This premise is considered the liberal peace or democratic peace theory. However, liberal democratic polity and a market oriented economy have the potential to impede the consolidation of peace. These two practices paradoxically encourage societal completion as a means of achieving political stability and economic prosperity (Paris,1997,57). Policies related to market liberalization lends itself to sever inequality, which generates violent political polarization. War shattered states are expected to effectively complete a transformation that took several centuries in the oldest European states all while emerging from the tumultuous situation of a civil war (Paris,1997,78). It is unrealistic to expect war shattered states to become democracies and market economies in such a short time frame. There are examples throughout history that showcase the short coming of liberal internationalism as a strategy of peacebuilding. For example, in Rwanda and Angola political liberalization contributed to the resurgence of violence and in Mozambique, El Salavdor, and Nicaragua, the effects of
Dr. Noah Zerbe is a professor and chair of the department of politics at Humboldt State University in California and someone who has spent time in both South Africa and Zimbabwe. Dr. Zerbe goes in depth into the factors that surrounded the 2002 famine in Africa, where 14 million Africans were on the brink of starvation. The Malawi president, just a season before the famine, sold off all of Mal...
A typical federal system has features such as division of territory/sovereignty, regional autonomy, federal supremacy, representation, codification of prerogative, participation in constitutional amendment, and a constitutional court .
Africa has long been a nation of conflict and strife. Certain countries such as the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have a prolonged history of corrupt leaders, violence and lack of resources. These conflicts often can lead to spill over and create wars in their neighboring countries. When a weak state has internal conflict it often spreads to surrounding weak states as it did with many of the countries in central Africa. This type of crisis will often involve the entire world in a variety of capacities such as militaries, foreign aid and the global economy. Congo especially has proved to create problems that continue to persist in the modern world and much of that is due to leadership of Motubu Sese Seko. “The conflict [in Congo] produced tremendous carnage: as many as 3.8 million dead and many more injured or displaced. Both phrases of the war (1996-97 and 1998-2002) involved domestic militias, a massive foreign invasion, and shifting alliances – with Angola, Rwanda, Uganda and Zimbabwe playing major roles. Even though the was has officially ended, peace remains elusive”(Atzili 2007 pg 141). One player’s internal conflicts spread through an entire continent and affected the whole world and caused enormous damage. All countries need to strive to maintain strong institutions to be a good global citizen and one of the keys to this is leadership.
This essay will describe the characteristics of the modern nation-state, explain how the United States fits the criteria of and functions as a modern nation-state, discuss the European Union as a transnational entity, analyze how nation-states and transnational entities engage in foreign policy to achieve their interests, and the consequences of this interaction for international politics. Some of the characteristics that make up a modern nation-state are: the population of the territory is united in the national identity and traditions, has an official language or languages and common descent, has an organized government, shall have independence and sovereign (self-ruled), and has a defined territory and/or borders. An example of a modern nation-state is Egypt. Egypt’s identity is closely tied to its location and its long history.
To examine what state formation is and how it has occurred the logical route seems to assess from where they have evolved. The notion of the state is a relatively recent concept, for example in 1555 there existed only two national states, England and France. With otherwise the existence of disorganised and corrupt empires, federations and protectorates. It appears states have formed despite the many obstacles facing their development. Not only did the challenges of securing territory exist but ri...
In the political approach, political authority is divided between a central government and the provincial or state governments. This means that some provinces or states are accorded a substantial measure of constitutional or legal sovereignty, although they still remain subordinates of the central government in certain constitutional or legal respects. The political approach promotes the political values of military strength, economic development, union, and representation. In addition, it is characterized by three central features: state sovereignty, bicameralism, and multiple layers of representation.