Chapter 1 Flashcards
A group of people united by bonds of race, language, custom, tradition, and sometimes religion.
Nation
A political community that occupies a definite territory and has an organized government with the power to make and enforce laws without approval from any higher authority.
State (country)
Refers to a country in which the territory of both the nation and the state coincide.
Nation-state
Four features of state:
Population, territory, sovereignty, and government.
Top three populated countries:
China, India, U.S.
An agreement about basic beliefs.
Consensus
The state has supreme and absolute authority within its territorial boundaries.
Sovereignty
The institution through which the state maintains social order, provides public services, and enforces decisions binding on the people in the state.
Government
Top five states with the most territory:
Russia, Canada, China, U.S.A., Brazil
Four theories of how a state originated:
Evolutionary, force, divine right, and Social Contract
Four purposes of government:
–Maintain social order
–Provide public services
–Provide national security
–Provide economic system
Two gov’t systems:
Unitary system, federal system
Gov’t gives all key powers to the national or central gov’t.
Unitary system
Gov’t divides the powers between the national and state gov’t.
Federal system
A loose union of independent states.q
Confederacy