WHAT IS A STATE?

Differentiating Terms

• State• Max Weber defines it as the organization that maintains

a monopoly of violence over a territory• Must have sovereignty – the ability to carry out

actions or policies within a territory independently from external actors or internal riots• Sovereignty requires power, physical and

otherwise, to defend against these other actors• Institutions are what we call actors which carry

out the state’s responsibilities (i.e., executive branch, bureaucracy, military, courts, etc.)

WHAT IS A STATE?

Differentiating Terms

• Nation• People group that is bound together through shared

political aspirations (i.e., self government)• Regime

• fundamental rules and norms of politics• Can change gradually or through rapid trauma or

revolution• Government

• The leadership presently entrusted with running the state

• Can change through elections, or transitions of power

COMPARING STATE POWER

Strong States

Weak States

Failed States

• These are simplistic ways to express the power of a state

COMPARING STATE POWER

Capacity – the ability of a state to wield power in order to carry out the basic tasks of providing security and reconciling freedom and equality

• High Capacity – well organized, legitimate, able to enforce its own laws

Autonomy – the ability of a state to wield its power independent of public approval

• High Autonomy – state acts on behalf of the public with no regard to public opinion

• Low Autonomy – state acts at the behest of private individuals and groups

CENTRALIZATION VS. DECENTRALIZATION

• Unitary – one national government, local/regional units have little or no say in policy

• Examples : Great Britain, China, Iran

DIFFERENT FORMS OF GOVERNMENT

• Federal – local units share power with the central national government

• Examples : U.S., Mexico, Nigeria, *Russia*

DIFFERENT FORMS OF GOVERNMENT

• Confederal – smaller regional governments hold the most power, united by a weak central government

• Examples : European Union, other IGOs

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