Sovereignty and the nation state

Question 1

What is soverignty?

Answer 1

Absolute and unlimited power and authority i.e. the power to rule and make laws

Question 2

What is the state?

Answer 2

The political institution in which the soverignty is embodied (exists)

Question 3

What does a state have? (unofficial characteristics of a state)

Answer 3

Govern people within a territory with boundaries
Have laws, taxes, officials, postal services, police and (usually) armies
Wage war, negoitiate treaties, regulate life
Claim soverignty within their territory

Question 4

Are states static?

Answer 4

No, states are flux and can change because of:
War e.g. creation of new states after WW1 and 2
Negotiation e.g. over contested land or borders
Arbitration
Money e.g. states can be sold for money, Alaska was sold to the US

Question 5

Nation (features and wants)

Answer 5

Groups of people claiming common bonds like language, culture or historical identity
Some groups claiming to be nations also have a state - France (French = Nation, France = State)
Others want a state - Tibet (Live within the state of China)
Others do not want statehood but claim some autonomy - Native American (largest tribe = Navajo) want some greater autonomy to live the way they want to live in the US state
Some nations are larger than states - Kurds (Live in Turket, Iran, Iraq, Syria

Very few states have one nation of people in them, due to the nature of the modern world