January 27 and 29, 2015 Chapter 4: The Nation State

Question 1

List the 5 most fundamental components of a state.

Answer 1

1. Monopoly of legitimate violence.
2. Territoriality.
3. Plurality.
4. The people.
5. Sovereignty.

Question 2

What is the most important fundamental component of a state?

Answer 2

Monopoly of legitimate violence.

Question 3

What is meant by the monopoly of legitimate violence?

Answer 3

Any other groups that utilize violence in the state should be suppressed.

Question 4

What is meant by the territoriality of a state?

Answer 4

A precisely delimited area of monopolistic power. Physical aspect. Defines your resources and grounds your history.

Question 5

What is meant by the plurality of the state?

Answer 5

External, political environment in which the state exists- there is no superior power over the states.

Question 6

What is meant by the people of the state?

Answer 6

The “nation,” those who reside within the state.

Question 7

What brought about the idea of the people of the state?

Answer 7

Treaty of Westphalia.

Question 8

What is meant by the sovereignty of the state?

Answer 8

The state has sole authority over itself.

Question 9

On the surface it seems that sovereignty protects the interests of the individuals within the states. However…

Answer 9

Governments can also commit atrocities against its own citizens, such as ethnic cleansing.

Question 10

What is the R2P, or Responsibility to Protect?

Answer 10

States that international community has a duty to protect the security of citizens in other states.

Question 11

What is an area that is problematic in the R2P?

Answer 11

Self-interest.

Question 12

___ security is not always the same as state security.

Answer 12

Human.

Question 13

When defining the nation state under a more expansive concept, some additional features can be identified. List them.

Answer 13

1. The development of public and state-binding law.
2. Differentiation between state and society.
3. How the state intervenes under the guise of security.
4. Formation of the public sphere.
5. Democratic participation.
6. Citizenship.
7. Nationhood.

Question 14

What is the development of public and state-binding law?

Answer 14

The state must abide by public law as well, and must govern the relations between state and society.

Question 15

What is differentiation between state and society?

Answer 15

The state is concerned about political activity only, while society is concerned about social aspects only.

Question 16

What is secularization?

Answer 16

Doesn’t necessarily you are trying to encourage no religion, since you are interfering in the society’s way of practicing religion.

Question 17

What is a highly debated economic concept that has to do with the differentiation between state and society?

Answer 17

State intervention in the market.

Question 18

Give an example of how the state intervenes under the guise of security.

Answer 18

Hijab controversy.

Question 19

In the formation of a public sphere, there is a ___ government.

Answer 19

Representative.

Question 20

What is democratic participation?

Answer 20

• Elimination of electoral restrictions.

- Opening up voting to all members of society is a sign of democracy.

Question 21

What is the problem with democratic participation?

Answer 21

The faction in the state (divisions) can fracture a society.

Question 22

What is citizenship?

Answer 22

Based on your citizenship, you have certain rights and responsibilities.

Question 23

What are civil rights?

Answer 23

All citizens are equal before the law.

Question 24

What are political rights?

Answer 24

One man one vote.

Question 25

What are social rights?

Answer 25

Welfare state.

Question 26

Who are Roma (gypsies)?

Answer 26

Those without a state.

Question 27

What is nationhood?

Answer 27

A sense of solidarity among people living in the state, as a response to emerging socio-economic and cultural cleavages.

Question 28

What is the mistake of the state in relation to nationhood?

Answer 28

Assumes harmony in society (common ground and identity). Assumes homogeneity.

Question 29

We define ourselves in Canada by…

Answer 29

What we are not (America).

Question 30

What are some features that contributed to the civilization of the state?

Answer 30

• More moderate state demeanour.

- Decrease in the actual exercise of violence.

Question 31

What are the 3 stages of state development (European state formation)?

Answer 31

1. Consolidation of rule.
2. Rationalization of rule.
3. Expansion of role.

Question 32

When did the consolidation of rule happen in Europe?

Answer 32

12-17th Century.

Question 33

What is the consolidation of rule?

Answer 33

Decreasing number of political centres but increasing territorial reach. Decisive role of military resources.

Question 34

What is the rationalization of rule?

Answer 34

Centralization, dependency of the privileged powers decanted the rulers’ ability of executing his power, implication of bureaucracies.

Question 35

What is raison d’état?

Answer 35

The more power the ruler gained, the more it was exercised in an impersonal and formal manner.

Question 36

What are the two initial roles of states?

Answer 36

Internal (to maintain order) and external (to maintain security).

Question 37

What are some explanations as to why states expanded their activities?

Answer 37

• Novel needs through modernization.
• Demands from the market economy.
• Bureaucracies have an inherent tendency to grow.
• Dynamics of representative democracies.
• Demand for redistribution.

Question 38

The nation state is a ___, ___ ___ idea.

Answer 38

Western, Global North.