Chapter 2- Lecture Flashcards
What is the state?
the state is an independent self-governing political community whose governing institutions have the capability to make rules that are binding on the population within a particular territory.
What is the difference between the state and government?
Government is a set of institutions (including politicians) that makes and oversees the implementation on behalf of the state for a particular time.
What are the three main characteristics of the state? Explain each.
1) It involves territorial boundaries- states have borders, beyond their legal authority is either nil or strictly limited.
2) The state consists of a complex set of institutions that wield public authority- the courts, police, and the educational system are no less outposts of the states authority than are the elected legislature and bureaucracy (why it remains powerful)
3) The state is defined in terms of power- acc. to Weber it is defined by “its monopoly of legitimate use of physical force in the enforcement of its order”.
Expand a bit of the third characteristic of the state (the state is defined in terms of power). What does each gov’t acknowledge about other governments? What are they means? What do they acknowledge about other the state?
- every gov’t acknowledges the sovereignty of other governments
- exclusive power of gov’t
- the means to exercise and utilize violence
- acknowledge that the state is about concentrating power and authority
What is the State acc. to Mintz?
An independent, self governing political community whose governing institutions have the capacity to make rules that are binding on the population residing within a particular territory.
What is reciprocity?
Globally, the system doesn’t change.
What is sovereignty?
sovereignty is a legal and actual conclusion whereby states recognize no higher authority either domestically or externally and are thus free to act as they wish.
Are all states equal?
Given they are sovereign states, are equal in legal terms. Comparatively, with resources and how they manage on a global level, all states are different.
What is the resource necessary for governments to exercise sovereignty?
Making laws (ensures because they are sovereign and they have the ability to make and enforce those laws).
Why is it hard for governments to maintain sovereignty?
because of technology
What are two critical principles reinforcing sovereignty?
Non-interference- based on reciprocity. aCcept and pledge this as you enter into gov’t relationships. Acknowledge domestic affairs of gov’t in their territory and their sovereignty. Ensures authority can be exercised.
Territory Integrity- marked and recognized borders that establish a marker where your power and authority begins and ends to you and other gov’t. What happens beyond those borders? Who is in charge?
Combined, these two principles solidify what sovereignty is and how it works.
What is sovereignty acc. to Mintz? What comes first and second?
First, states claim to be the highest authority for their population and their territory. Second, states are not subject to any external authority, but rather are able to act independently in the world.
-citizens expect gov’t to represent the interest of their people, at least symbolically.
What are modern states referred to as? Why?
Nation-states, in that they are sovereign states based on people living in a country who share a sense of being member of a particular nation.
In reality, are many states based on a single nation?
no
Many nations states are created through___ ___.
brute force
Is Canada a nation-state?
Remains a contentious issue for some groups
What do states play a fundamental role in?
socializing citizens and groups.
- collectivie identity
- how we see ourselves
What are objective features of a nation?
(territory, language, culture). You can point to them
What are subjective features of a nation?
You take some of these ideas of what it means to be something (part of a country, for example), and think of them. How do you share fundamental values of who we are, what we stand for, with others? How did those values come to be?
Ex. what does it mean to be Canadian?
Think: Who you are today as a Canadians may ___be who you are___years from now as a Canadian. Why?
- not
- 20
- because the gov’t tries to shape who we are, but the community does that too.
What is a necessity for any nation state?
common identity
What is a requirement for every nation state?
common code of values
Why will our view of ourselves as Canadians change in twenty years?
In a system like ours, creating more diverse populations challenges what we view and share–which is what the nation is. This is why our view of ourselves will change.
There are a number of countries where a great number of people view themselves as having a different___identity.
national
What is a national identity?
A common identity can be based on common characteristics such as ethnicity, language, culture, and religion (objective features)
What is nationalism based on?
is based on a view that the nation-state is the best for of political community and that a nation should have its own self-governing state.
What is self determination?
a nation should have its own self governing state.
What are the two types of nationalism? Explain.
Ethnic nationalism-views common ancestry along with common cultural traditions and language associated with a particular group as the basis for a nationstate
Civic nationalism- shared political values and political history as the basis for the nation state.
What type of nationalism is Canada?
civic nationalism (though there are arguments that Canada is both).
What does Canada, as a civic nation, have an understanding of?
liberal democratic politics
What should we think of the civic nation as crafting?
an identity in a group that is ethnically diverse, such as having shared values.
