Nations, States and Countries(Oh my!)

What is a “nation?”

• Nation: a large aggregate united by common– Descent– History– Culture– Language– Inhabiting a particular

territory • (not necessarily a country)

What is a “state?”• State: a “nation” with its own government that

occupies a particular territory

What is a “country?”

• Country: same as a state

What is a “stateless nation?”• “Stateless nation”: A group of people that has

the characteristics of being a nation but does not have their own government

What is a “nationless state?”• “Nationless state”:

boundaries (arbitrarily draw) with no historical context and no common bond between people

Governments

What is a government?

• Government: The institution through which a state maintains social order, provides public services, and enforce binding decisions on citizens.

• Popular Sovereignty: the state has supreme and absolute authority within its territorial boundaries– (In theory, no state has the right to

interfere with the internal affairs of another state.)

Government Power and

the Social Contract

• Governments always get their power from the people they rule

• Social Contract: – People give up some

rights and power to the government

– Government protects the citizens

Government Effectiveness

For a Government to Work…

• gov’ts must make unifying decisions

• Individuals must obey gov’t decisions

• Gov’t must have the power to punish those who do not obey

Government Power• Legitimacy– Willingness of citizens to

obey • Democracy: consent of the

people

• Coercive Force– Comes from police, judicial

and military institutions– Gov’ts force people to pay

taxes and punish offenders by fines/imprison

Purpose of Governments

Maintain Social Order

• Settle disputes– Structures for settling

• Make and enforce laws

Provide National Security

• Protect people against attack by other states and from threats of terrorism

• Foreign relations– Trade agreements– Treaties

Provide Public Services

• Roads• Sewer systems• Promote health and

safety– Diseases prevention– Driver’s licenses

Making Economic Decisions

• Address poverty– (Causes of revolutions)

• Payments to farmers• Stimulate economic

growth – Taxes– Money circulation

Types of Governments

Autocracy

• Autocracy: any system of government in with the power and authority to rule are in the hands of a single individual.

Autocracy• Totalitarian Dictatorship: – the ideas of a single leader or group of leaders are

glorified– The government seeks to control all aspects of

social and economic life– Examples: • Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini and Joseph Stalin

Autocracy• Monarchy:– King, queen, or emperor exercises the

supreme powers of government– Monarchs usually inherit their position– Example: King of Saudi Arabia

• Constitutional Monarchy– Monarchs whose power is limited by a

constitution– Example: Great Britain

Theocracy• Theocracy– Theo: Greek for God– Kratia: Greek for “rule”– Religious leaders rule the country– They use religious laws to rule the people and

settle disputes.– Example: Iran

Oligarchy

• Oligarchy:– A system in which a small group holds power.• Example: China’s Communist Party

Dictatorships and Oligarchies

• Dictatorships and Oligarchies– Will say they rule for the people– Give appearance:• Hold elections, but only offer one candidate• Have Assemblies or Legislatures, but approve decisions

already made by the leaders

Democracy

• Democracy– Demos: Greek for “the people”– Kratia: Greek for “rule”– A system of government in which rule is by the

people

Characteristics of a Democracy• Individual Liberty– No one can have complete

freedom = chaos– People are to be as free as

possible to develop their own capacities

– “The freedom to move your arm ends where my nose begins.”

Characteristics of a Democracy• Majority Rule with Minority

Rights– “Tyranny of the Majority”– Difficult balance to achieve • Example: Japanese Interment

Camps: – Supreme Court (Korematsu vs. US)

upheld interment camps

Characteristics of a Democracy• Free Elections– Every person’s vote in equal– All candidates have freedom of

expression– People are free to help

candidates/issues– Legal rights to vote

(citizenship, age, residence) are kept to a minimum

– Secret ballot

Characteristics of a Democracy• Competing Political

Parties– Groups of individuals

with broad interests who organize to nominate candidate, etc

Democracy

• Direct Democracy:– People govern themselves by voting on issues

individually as citizens– Only works in small societies where citizens can

meet to decide on key issues and problems– Example:• Ancient Athens

Democracy

• Indirect Democracy (Republic)– People elect representatives and

five them the responsibility and power to make laws and conduct government

– If the representative makes good decisions, then he/she could be re-elected. (visa-versa)

– Example:• Ancient Rome and the USA

First AmendmentCongress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petitition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Rights

• Rights are legal, social, or ethical principles of freedom or entitlement; – that is, rights are the fundamental normative rules

about what is allowed of people or owed to people

Universal Rights

• The right that ALL people of all countries have…– The Right to Life

Cultural Rights• Cultural Rights: Rights you have in a particular

country• Rights vary from country to country

Prohibitive Power

• Prohibitive Powers: powers denied to both national and state governments – Example US Bill of Rights

• Amendment VIII• Excessive bail shall not

be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.