Student ID number – s1642219
Sovereignty
The Merriam- Webster defines sovereignty as “unlimited power over a country”
OR “A country's independent authority and the right to govern itself “.
There are two concepts of sovereignty: Political concept and Religious concept. The political concept of sovereignty is based on inherent and limited conditions of power, while religious sovereignty is based on the omnipotence of God. Thus occurs a conflict between the two types sovereignty’s to attain power and rule the world.
There are five elements that describe sovereignty: absolutism, subjectivity, jurisdiction, territoriality and indivisibility.
Absolutism: “Sovereignty strives for absolute power over what t he dominion over which it rules”.
Subjectivity: “The ability to be subject of something and being subjected of that something:”
Jurisdiction: “The legal power necessary to rule over”
Territoriality: “Restriction to one territory over which it can rule”
Indivisibility: “Does not share power within a prescribed domain with anyone or anything else”
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This was called Peace of Westphalia (1648). The treaty could not restore peace throughout Europe but laid down the foundation of national self determination. The Peace of Westphalia gave rise to the concept of Westphalia Sovereignty. Westphalia Sovereignty is “ The principle of international law that each nation state has sovereignty over its territory and domestic affairs, to the exclusion of all external powers, on the principle of non-interference in another country's domestic affairs, and that each state (no matter how large or small) is equal in international law”. The main principles of this form of sovereignty are: territorial, autonomy and non-intervention. The Westphalia Sovereignty was not only flexible in nature but also allowed each region to fully-develop and establish its own form of
Totalitarianism is the term that is used to describe the political system where the government holds total authority ove...
document, such as a constitution. Sovereignty - an independent state has the power to govern its
If those in power do not obey the social contract, the commonwealth has the right to create a new social contract so the state of nature does not prevail. The sovereign is entrusted with unlimited power, but must always act in a way that protects the people. Laws from the sovereign allow the commonwealth to not constantly fear death. Like principalities, sovereignty is allowed ultimate rule. It is similar to a republic in which the ruler has to abide by the will of the people.
power as “both absolute and unitary.” One purpose of these assertions was to justify the ever-increasing centralization of governmental authority within the several European nations. Foremost among these thinkers were Thomas Hobbes and Jean Bodin. Bodin’s Six Books of the Commonwealth (1576) offered the enduring definition of sovereignty as “the absolute and perpetual power of a commonwealth” which “is not limited either in power, or in function, or in length of time.” In other words, sovereignty was held solely by one authority and could not be allocated among other, lesser authorities. Indeed, Bodin spurned the very idea of a lesser authority, claiming that the power and authority of a sovereign “cannot be relinquished or alienated”: “Just as God, the great sovereign, cannot make a God equal to Himself because He is infinite and logical necessity…two infinites cannot exist, so we can say that the prince, whom we have taken as the image of God, cannot make a subject equal to himself without annih...
a government in which all power belongs to one person : the rule or authority of a tyrant
When asked about the definition of a sovereign nation, Selma Buckwheat (September 25, 2013), elder member of the Anishinabeg tribe, explains by stating, “We govern ourselves and have our own laws” (personal communication). They have a lot of meetings that help understand most of the sovereign nations. In other words, a sovereign nation is power or a territory existing as an independent s...
“Treaty of Westphalia.” 1648. TS. Lillian Goldman Law Library, New Haven. The Avalon Project - Documents in Law, History and Diplomacy. Web. 17 Nov. 2015.
The next eight points displayed the territorial changes that would occur. These points also supported the idea of self-determination, in which a country rules over itself rather the dominance of another country (2).
Absolute monarchy or absolutism meant that the sovereign power or ultimate authority in the state rested in the hands of a king who claimed to rule by divine right. But what did sovereignty mean? Late sixteenth century political theorists believed that sovereign power consisted of the authority to make laws, tax, administer justice, control the state's administrative system, and determine foreign policy. These powers made a ruler sovereign.
The belief of a nation running their own state is a right for most of us. However, this is only a new conviction. The right for one to sovereign their own nation has come due with hard work. Illicit imperialism has stricken humanity for numerous years. Due to the aspiration of power certain nations today do not self-govern their own state. But why would there be a desire for this power? Some of the main items include natural resources, increased assets, and military expansion. Ideally this is great if this is voluntary external rule, but when it’s no longer voluntary this is when the boundary has been crossed. This is why every nation should have control over their own state if they desire.
The modern state was sovereign; therefore, internally, it exerted itself its authority, within a territorial boundaries which was clearly defined and acknowledged internationally, there was no authorities higher than the state. Externally, state sovereignty indicated that other states recognized its authority within its borders, and agreed that it could represent its citizens in international affairs. (Graeme Gill) The modern state was centralized, and bureaucratically organized. Its legal administration as well as its administrative staffs were controlled by regulations. Its offices were structured with a definite line of direction. Through their organization, the modern state projected its power into the society, exerted direct control upon their populace, and controlled their territory. Even though, its structure while comparing it with our states structures today, was not well equilibrated; however, it was ready during this period to operate changes that diplomacy brought into their structure which would affect their upward within 1648 to 1815.
...ty exclusive of external authorities. Second, in terms of domestic sovereignty, for fairly long time the political structures of states have been following the global trends, from monarchy, to republics, to democratic states most recently. From above we can see that both domestic sovereignty and Westphalian sovereignty are facing challenges all the time, which are not new, but characteristic from time to time. Since sovereignty is the core value of a state, it is reasonable to conclude that nation-state is challenged by globalization but its power is not undermined.
Sovereignty should be clearly differentiated and distinguished. It is divided into legal sovereignty as well as political sovereignty. Legal sovereignty is concerned with the legal relationship between the courts and Parliament.
THE SOVEREIGNITY OF NATIONS From the international law point of view, a sovereign state is independent and free from external control; enjoys full legal equality; governs its own territory; selects its own political, social, economic systems; and has the power to enter into agreements with other nations. It is extension of national laws beyond a country's borders that much of the conflict in international business arises. Nations can and do abridge specific aspects of their sovereign rights in order to coexist with other countries.... ... middle of paper ...
In the Light of the Peace of Westphalia The Peace of Westphalia is a major turning point in European history. It ended wars fought over religion that would never again plague Europe, destroyed the dream of a united Europe under Catholicism, and power in Europe shifted from the Habsburg family to the French Monarchy. After the Peace of Westphalia, wars in Europe were rarely fought over religion, they began to be fought for more political purposes. The 30 Years War, which had led to the Peace of Westphalia, had been a war fought between Catholics and Calvinists.