Author: Haroon Khalil
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Force Theory of the Origin of the State
chVoltaire’s remark that ‘The first King was a fortunate warrior’ exemplifies the notion that a superior force must be behind the origin of the State. Force theory typically implies that the origin of the State is found in the subjugation of the weak by the stronger. In the primitive stage of evolution, physically stronger people must have…
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How did the State Originate?
Political thinkers and analysts have differed about the factors and circumstances that are responsible for the origin of the State. Some attribute it to force, some to a divine dispensation and some to historical and social factors, including social contract by the people living in the state of nature or origin of classes and ownership…
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Introduction
We discussed the concept and elements of the State, and the evolution of the State to its present form—the nation-state. We will study the various perspectives and theories of the State by taking into account rival and contested approaches that seek to find out how and when the State originated, its nature, its sphere of…
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A Brief Note on the Evolution of the State in India
In the third century BCE, a great empire emerged under Chandragupta Maurya which covered almost all of present-day India (south India was not part of it) and even extended to Kabul in the north. During this period, Kautilaya is supposed to have written his treatise, the Arthásastra, (the ‘Science of Polity’), which dealt with statecraft and establishment,…
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Reluctant States, Missing Nations and Shared Sovereignty: Nation-states in the Developing World
The growth and rise of the nation-state is neither uniform nor universal. As the nation-state was finding its feet in Europe, most parts of Asia and Africa were under some form of colonial rule. Historically speaking, the colonial power structure has played a dual role. On the one hand, it demarcated geographical boundaries of States…
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Equality of nation-state
A nation-state interacts with other nation-states on the principle of equality and enjoys similar privileges and obligations towards each other. For peace and justice to prevail in the world, nation-states must be free and secure. These elements or characteristics present an ideal type of nation-state and we may compare specific nation-states with the formulation discussed.…
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Right to recognize and get recognized
The nation-state has the recognition of other similar nation-states or a majority of them, along with recognition from supra-national organizations. The nation-state has the right to recognize other nation-state(s) and be part of supra-national organizations on the principle of the sovereign equality of the nation-state.
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Nation-state as the primary economic, political and cultural actor31
The nation-state is considered to be the primary actor and representative of its people in these areas. The nation-state is considered to be the ‘terminal entity’ in the international system which captures the loyalties of the people.
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Basis of public good, welfare and security of its citizens
The nation-state is the basis of all decisions relating to its citizen including the public good, the welfare and the security of the citizenry. Public good defined in terms of the principles of excludability and non-rival consumption is provided by the nation-state. While the principle of excludability implies that the exclusion of individuals from the…
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Citizenship as the basis of relationship between population and the state
The relationship between the community/population and the central authority, the State, is defined in terms of citizenship. This is usually reflected in constitutions through charters of rights. The modern State is the representative of this central authority and the sovereignty of the modern state is not ‘shared.