The Terms State and Nation - Case Study Example

Running Header        What is a State? What is a Nation? What is Statecraft? Give Examples                                                                                               Students Name: Instructors Name Name Of Course Code of the Course: Date of Submission:               What is a State? What is a Nation? What is Statecraft? Give Examples 1.0 Introduction The terms state and nation are often used interchangeably. However, the two have different meanings. Different scholars have varying meanings for the two. However, they all agree on the basics that a state is a political society which is governed by a common authority. On the other hand, a nation is a society which is united by common values, behaviors and culture (Australian government, 2013.). The need to for states to relate with other states has given rise to state craft; which is basically a strategy in which states relate with each other. The aim of this research paper is to give a deep insight into the concept of state, nation and state craft. A state has four basic features which include: population, territory, government and sovereignty. A state must have a population which is to be governed by a common government. The type of government which governs a state/country may be democratic, military, or any other form which is upheld or imposed on it. Another feature of a state is sovereignty. Sovereignty is the power of the state in its people. It’s the power of a state to define its destiny. Lastly, a state has a territory which is defined by the boundaries. With respect to a nation, it is characterized by a common culture, history, language and institutions.  The following research paper gives an insight into state, nation and statecraft. 2.0 State A state is a political society. A state is independent in nature. A state has several features which   include a population, territory, government and sovereignty. The following section will discuss the basic features of a state. 2.1. Population   Basically, a state is a social association. For this reason a state must have the demographics which are needed top form the state. Ideally, the population of a country is used to determine the power of a country. It is common for people to refer to the demographic might of China and India which are key to the economic prowess of the countries. America’s big population is also regarded to as one of the factors which have led to its economic might. The population also forms the subjects which are governed by the state authority. There are many benefits which a state reaps from a strong population body. One of them is that it provides the state with a large labor base which provides it with the much needed human capital. Secondly, it provides it with a ready market. From this it can an example of China whose population has contributed to the internal economic growth of the country can be acknowledged. Thirdly, the population gives a country some form of security since the country has access to a large number to form the military. Some of the countries in the world which have a strong military for instance the U.S. are bestowed with a large population. There are even instances when countries encourage immigration so to beef up the populations in the country. From the above discussion above, it can be seen that the population is an important feature of a state.       2.2 Territory A state is marked by definite boundaries which mark the geographical coverage of a country (Pelrose, 2002). Ideally, a state strives to have as much land as possible.  Ideally, land is one of the factors of production. The more land a state has, the more the resources the country has.  Looking at the world’s history, it can be acknowledged that the territory factor is a major factor which has led to many conflicts. The war between Israel and the Palestine over the Gaza strip is one of the examples of the conflicts which have been instigated by the fight for territory.  In addition to territory providing factor of production, it provides land for the settlement of the population. There are also many countries which have sought to increase their territorial cover by controlling other countries/ territories. Taking an example of Puerto Rico which has been a territory of the USA, it can be seen that the territory is an important feature of a state. However, Puerto Rico is not a state since its inhabitants do not have the full right bestowed to American citizens. The territorial boundaries also mark the water boundaries’ on the seas and the oceans which individual countries control. There are also the international waters and lands which any state can have access to.  From the above discussion, it can be acknowledged that the territory is a major feature of a state. 2.3 Sovereignty The sovereignty of a state is normally bestowed in its population. On this point, it can be acknowledge that the population has the power to choose its destiny without being influenced by other states. In most cases, the government is responsible for determining the state’s future (Delbruck, 1982). This is done when governments pass legislations which are responsible for implementing or establishing specific actions. The election process or any other process in which the population selects its governance is the link which bestowed the sovereignty to its people. this explains the reason as to why certain countries for instance North Korea continue to do things which are perceived as wrong by the international community for instance the development of weapons of mass destruction. However, the sovereignty of the states is always monitored by the international communities. More often than not, this is done in order to ensure that states do not indulge in actions which threaten the well being of the world, for example the USA has over the recent past been involved in a series of military actions on countries which provided refuge to terrorist or which engaged in terrorism. On the other hand, the international community especially the west is criticized for inhibiting the sovereign power of other states. They are instances of sanctions which have been imposed in various states by the west for example Zimbabwe.   2.4 Government A state is governed by a government. The type of government and the efficiency associated with it determines the extent of development experienced in a country (Smith, 2010). Examples of government s include democratic, aristocratic, monarchial and dictatorial. Giving examples of state authorities in the world USA can be regarded as democratic, the former Libyan administration was an aristocratic, the Korean administration is dictatorial, and the Castro administration in Cuba was military. The Britain administration is a combination of the monarchy and democratic administration. The queen heads the monarch while the prime minster heads the elected government. While discussing about the government, it is important that to acknowledge the fact that it has a very important effect on the development of a state. The more efficient the government is, the more the state is likely to develop. This explains the reason as to why many poor states are associated with poor governance. Taking an example of Mali which is one of the countries which is affected by poverty, it can be acknowledged that governance plays a major role in the development of a state.  Oblivious of the fact that Mali is well endowed with Oil, which the commonly referred to as the black gold, the country still lags behind. The country has been rocked by civil wars which have resulted from poor governance. Therefore, it can see from the above discussion that the government is an important feature of a state. 3.0 Nation A nation is a society which shares a common culture, beliefs, values and history. Ideally a nation may have territorial boundaries which makes it’s a nation- state. It may also be a society without territorial borders which makes it a nation. Due to the fact that a nation is dependent on the extent to which the population upholds the specific cultures, values and beliefs, there arises the need to cultivate that spirit in them (Pelrose, 2002).. On this point, nationalist movement crop up. Some of the reputable nationalist movements in the world include the South African natio0nalism led by Nobel Laureate Nelson Mandela, the Indian nationalism movement (for instance the slat march and the non cooperation movement) in India. These movements are aimed at ensuring that people share common values, beliefs, culture and vision. When a nation acquires independence and has well defined borders it becomes a nation. The following section will give some of the main features of a nation. 3.1 Culture A culture is a set of beliefs, behaviors, values and traditions which is upheld in a specific society. When it is upheld in a large group of people, the group becomes a nation. Taking an example of the USA, distinct culture can be seen in events such as the Halloween and the thanksgiving which are days/ holidays which are meant to mark special aspects of the American culture.  The government also cultivates cultures in it population for instance ‘living the American dream’ which aims at ensuring the Americans prosper and live a happy life. The conservative culture of the Chinese which is ideally one of the nation- states which has clung on to its culture is an example of culture an important feature of a nation (Guo,2007) 3.2 Language Members of a single nation normally share a common language. The common language is what that unifies the people hence forming   nation. On this point, it is important to note that nations may be formed by various ethnic groups each of which has a distinct ethnic language or dialect. However, the communities involved come up with one language which are generally accepted by all the people in the different communities. An example of this is Kenya whereby there are 42 ethnic groups each of which has distinct ethnic languages but have Swahili as the common unifying language. 3.3 Institutions A nation is also associated with common institutions. Ideally, all the people in a nation have a lot of respect for the specific institutions (Taylor, 1977). The institution may be social, economic or physical. On this point, it is important to note the martial arts normally referred to as the Kungfu and Karate institution in China. This institution is respected all through China. 3.4 Religion The religion also serves as unifying factor in a nation (Baubaker, 2011.More often than not, there is always a dominant religion in a nation although there may also be other religions which are practiced by a small population of the nation.  Christianity is a unifying factor in Italy where most people are followers of the Roma Catholic while Islam is a unifying factor in Iran as Hindu is in India. 3.5 History A nation also shares a common history which acts as unifying factors. On this point, it is important to note that the nationalism movements in many African and Asian countries were contributed to by colonialism. Owing to the fact that the people from the countries in these regions faced the same problem which is fighting for independence. For this reason, it can be seen that the struggle for independence in South Africa is a historical factor which led to the formation of the South African Nation State. 4.0 Nations and States As identified above, a nation can either definition of state either be a nation state or just a nation (Rejal & Enloe,1998) A nation state is nation which has boundary territories while a nation is a just a society banded together by common culture and values (Taylor, 1977). As a result of this there may be several nations in one state for example Canada. Another example of a state nation which is comprised of several nations is Tanzania. Tanzania is comprised of the Zanzibar nation and the Tanganyika nation. Israel can also be considered to be bi national state since the state has the Israeli nation and the Palestine nation (formed by Muslims living in Israel). The last example of a nation- state with more than one nation is the former Sudan. Prior to the independence of South Sudan, the state was comprised of the south Sudan nation which is mainly Christian and the north Sudan nation which is Arabic.  There are also nations without states (Rejal & Enloe, 1998).An example of this is Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico is territory state of the Unites States of America. Puerto Ricans do not enjoy the full rights of American citizens oblivious of the fact that they have attained the status of American citizens. Puerto Ricans still use Spain as their language although English is the common language in USA. Therefore, Puerto Rico is a nation state. 5.0 State Craft State craft is a means in which a state relates with other states. It is important for a state have a good strategy of relating with others since it ensures that it is able to benefit from the increased globalization which is associated with the modern world. On this point, it is worth noting that the world is slowly becoming a global village. Political social and economic societies of various countries are slowly becoming interdependent owing to the increased globalization (Sassesn2000). One of the most notable strategies in state craft is diplomacy. Looking at the international relations in the world, it is worth noting that at least every country has diplomats in other countries. There are also various organizations in the world which have come up as a result of the need for good international relations, the United Nations, the African union and the European Union are some of these international relations (Skillen,2002) 6.0 Conclusion In conclusion, this paper has been effective in given a good insight into the concept of nations, state and statecraft. With respect to states, it has been seen that a state is a society under a common political authority. From the paper, it has been seen that the state is comprised of fourth basic features which includes population, territory, sovereignty and government. The population forms the demographics of the society owing to the basic definition that a society is comprised of a population of pole. Secondly, the territory marks the geographical borders’/ land coverage of the state. Thirdly, the government is the authority which governs a state. Lastly, sovereignty is the ability/ power of a state to make free choices and define its own destiny. The Research paper has also talked about the nation in depth. It has been seen that a nation is comprised of society of people who share common beliefs, cultures and values. Just as it is with states, it has been seen from the  a paper that there are several features which are present in a nation. The features include: culture, language, institutions, religion and history. It has been seen that the above features unify the people in a nation. It has also been seen that a nation may exist in sate whereby there are territorial boundaries. Moreover, two or more nations can exist in one state. The research paper has also given an insight into state craft. From the paper, it has been seen that state craft define how states relate with each other. Summing up, the paper has been effective in giving an insight into the concepts of a state, nation and statecraft. References Australian government, 2013. What is the difference between a state and a territory?  etrieved on 10th March 2013 from  http://australia.gov.au/faq/what-is-the- ifference-between-a-state-and-a-territory Baubaker, R.,(2011). Religion and Nationalism: Four Approaches, Forthcomings in  nations and Nationalism 2011, 1-29 Delbruck, J., (1982). International Protection of human rights and States sovereignty, Indiana Law Journal, 57(4) 567-578 Guo, Y., (2007). The Revival of Chinese Cultural Nationalism , Portal, 4(1);  49-490 Pelrose, N., (2002) Nations, States and Homelands: Territory and Territoriality in  nationalist Thought, Nations and Nationalism,, 8(3) 277-297. Rejal, M., & Enloe, C., (1998). Nation States and State Nations, The International  quarterly, 13(2); 140-158 Sassesn, S., (2000). territory and territorial in the Global economy. International  sociology, 15(2), 372-393 Smith, M., (2010). From Big Government to Big Society: Changing the State–Society  lance, Parliam Aff. 63 (4): 818-833. Skillen,J., (2002). American Statecraft, The United Nations and Iraq, 1-12 Taylor,F., (1977). Nations and States: An Enquiry Into the Origins of Nations and the  olitics of Nationalism, Hugh Seton, Network. Read More

From the above discussion above, it can be seen that the population is an important feature of a state.       2.2 Territory A state is marked by definite boundaries which mark the geographical coverage of a country (Pelrose, 2002). Ideally, a state strives to have as much land as possible.  Ideally, land is one of the factors of production. The more land a state has, the more the resources the country has.  Looking at the world’s history, it can be acknowledged that the territory factor is a major factor which has led to many conflicts.

The war between Israel and the Palestine over the Gaza strip is one of the examples of the conflicts which have been instigated by the fight for territory.  In addition to territory providing factor of production, it provides land for the settlement of the population. There are also many countries which have sought to increase their territorial cover by controlling other countries/ territories. Taking an example of Puerto Rico which has been a territory of the USA, it can be seen that the territory is an important feature of a state.

However, Puerto Rico is not a state since its inhabitants do not have the full right bestowed to American citizens. The territorial boundaries also mark the water boundaries’ on the seas and the oceans which individual countries control. There are also the international waters and lands which any state can have access to.  From the above discussion, it can be acknowledged that the territory is a major feature of a state. 2.3 Sovereignty The sovereignty of a state is normally bestowed in its population.

On this point, it can be acknowledge that the population has the power to choose its destiny without being influenced by other states. In most cases, the government is responsible for determining the state’s future (Delbruck, 1982). This is done when governments pass legislations which are responsible for implementing or establishing specific actions. The election process or any other process in which the population selects its governance is the link which bestowed the sovereignty to its people.

this explains the reason as to why certain countries for instance North Korea continue to do things which are perceived as wrong by the international community for instance the development of weapons of mass destruction. However, the sovereignty of the states is always monitored by the international communities. More often than not, this is done in order to ensure that states do not indulge in actions which threaten the well being of the world, for example the USA has over the recent past been involved in a series of military actions on countries which provided refuge to terrorist or which engaged in terrorism.

On the other hand, the international community especially the west is criticized for inhibiting the sovereign power of other states. They are instances of sanctions which have been imposed in various states by the west for example Zimbabwe.   2.4 Government A state is governed by a government. The type of government and the efficiency associated with it determines the extent of development experienced in a country (Smith, 2010). Examples of government s include democratic, aristocratic, monarchial and dictatorial.

Giving examples of state authorities in the world USA can be regarded as democratic, the former Libyan administration was an aristocratic, the Korean administration is dictatorial, and the Castro administration in Cuba was military. The Britain administration is a combination of the monarchy and democratic administration. The queen heads the monarch while the prime minster heads the elected government. While discussing about the government, it is important that to acknowledge the fact that it has a very important effect on the development of a state.

The more efficient the government is, the more the state is likely to develop. This explains the reason as to why many poor states are associated with poor governance. Taking an example of Mali which is one of the countries which is affected by poverty, it can be acknowledged that governance plays a major role in the development of a state.

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