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THE NATION STATE SYSTEM: BASIC FEATURES OF A NATION-STATE

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International Relations-PSC 201
VU
LESSON 05
THE NATION STATE SYSTEM: BASIC FEATURES OF A NATION-STATE
(Continued from Lecture 4)
Sovereignty
The concept of sovereignty is permanently associated with a nation-state. It evolved in the 16thc in France,
during the conflict between the state and the church.
Many theorists have defined sovereignty. Hobbes focused on its absolutist aspect, while Austin focused on
legalistic or juristic notions of sovereignty. The modern doctrine of popular sovereignty has transferred the
source of absolute power from the monarch to the people.
The notion of sovereignty is important but it can become rigid unless applied to the evolving pattern of
inter-state relations.
Nationalism
Nationalism implies elevation of the nation above all other values. States usually control the mass media to
propagate their foreign policy objectives and centralize their education systems to popularize nationalistic
values.
Nationalism may take precedence over moral and religious beliefs (Soviet Union) or it may become fused
with such beliefs (Israel). Hans Morgenthau differentiated between nationalism of the 19th century and more
recent nationalistic universalism under which one state can claim the right to impose its own standards
upon the actions of all other nations.
Nationalism is an ideology that creates and sustains a nation as a concept of a common identity for groups
of humans. According to the theory of nationalism, the good being, the preservation of identity features, the
independence in all subjects, and the glory, of one's own nation, are fundamental values.
Nationalists base nations on various notions of political legitimacy. These can derive from the liberal
argument that political legitimacy is derived from the consent of a region's population, or combinations of
the two.
The modern vernacular use of nationalism refers to the political (and military) exercise of ethnic and
religious nationalism, as defined below. Political scientists usually tend to research and focus on the more
extreme forms of nationalism usually related with national-socialism, separatism etc.
National Power
Power is a gauged by both tangible and non-tangible aspects. The economic output, size, population and
military strength of a state are tangible and quantifiable aspects.
Power also rests on intangible factors like quality of leadership, ideology, morale and manipulative or
diplomatic strength. Power purchases security and enables survival of a state, thus it is an end onto itself.
This long run objective to achieve power also requires exertion of power, so it is also a means to an end.
Ingredients of National Power
Force: the explicit threat or use of military, economic, nuclear and other instruments of coercion by one state
against another.
Influence: using instruments of persuasion by one state to alter or maintain the behavior of another state.
Authority: voluntary compliance with directives of a state by other states out of respect, solidarity, or in
recognition of expertise.
Relevant Vocabulary
Derived: obtained or extracted from
Legitimacy: legality or justification
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International Relations-PSC 201
VU
Compliance: following and/or accepting instructions
Directives: orders
Solidarity: united stance
Explicit: obvious or visible
Intangible: not visible or very evident
Gauged: ascertained or measured
Suggested Readings
Students are advised to read the following chapters to develop a better understanding of the various
principals highlighted in this hand-out:
Chapter 2 in `"A Study of International Relations" by Dr. Sultan Khan.
Internet Resources
In addition to reading from the textbook, please visit the following web-pages for this lecture, which
provide useful and interesting information:
Nationalism
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nationalism
Table of Contents:
  1. WHAT IS INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AND WHAT IS ITS RELEVANCE?
  2. APPROACHES TO INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS: THEORIES IN IR
  3. APPROACHES TO INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS:Traditional Approach
  4. THE NATION-STATE SYSTEM:Further Evolution of Nation-State
  5. THE NATION STATE SYSTEM: BASIC FEATURES OF A NATION-STATE
  6. NATIONAL INTEREST:Criteria for Defining National Interest
  7. NATIONAL INTEREST:Variations in National Interest, Relevant Vocabulary
  8. BALANCE OF POWER (BOP):BoP from a historical perspective
  9. BALANCE OF POWER (CONTINUED):Degree of Polarization, Functions of BoP
  10. DIPLOMACY:How Diplomacy Functions, Traditional Versus Modern Diplomacy
  11. DIPLOMACY (CONTINUED):Diplomatic Procedures & Practices, Functions of Diplomacy
  12. COLONIALISM, NEO-COLONIALISM & IMPERIALISM:Judging Colonization
  13. COLONIALISM, NEO-COLONIALISM & IMPERIALISM:Types of Neo-Colonialism
  14. COLONIALISM, NEO-COLONIALISM & IMPERIALISM:Objectives of Imperialism
  15. NEW INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ORDER:Criticism of IEO, NIEO Activities
  16. NEW INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ORDER:Prerequisites for the NIEO
  17. NON-ALIGNMENT MOVEMENT:Origin of NAM, NAM’s Institutional Structure
  18. NON-ALIGNMENT MOVEMENT (CONTINUED):Cairo Summit, Egypt - 1964
  19. NON-ALIGNMENT MOVEMENT:Criticism of NAM, NAM and Pakistan
  20. THE COLD WAR AND ITS IMPACTS - INTRODUCING THE COLD WAR PHENOMENON
  21. THE COLD WAR AND ITS IMPACTS (CONTINUED):Truman Doctrine, Marshal Plan
  22. THE COLD WAR AND ITS IMPACTS (CONTINUED):End of the Cold War
  23. DISARMAMENT AND ARMS CONTROL:History of Disarmament
  24. DISARMAMENT AND ARMS CONTROL (CONTINUED):Other Disarmament Efforts
  25. THE RELEVANCE OF INTERNATIONAL LAW IN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
  26. THE RELEVANCE OF INTERNATIONAL LAW IN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS (CONTINUED)
  27. INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS:Need for IGOs, Categorizing IGOs
  28. INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS (CONTINUED):United Nations, Criticism of the UN
  29. INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS (CONTINUED):European Union, World Bank
  30. THE ROLE OF DECISION MAKING IN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
  31. DECISION MAKING (CONTINUED):Rational Actor Model, Group Politics Model
  32. SYSTEMS APPROACH TO IR:Underlying Assumptions, Elements of the System
  33. SYSTEMS BASED APPROACH (CONTINUED) – DISTINCT SYSTEMS IN IR
  34. LIBERALISM AND SOCIAL DEMOCRACY:Neoliberalism
  35. LIBERALISM AND SOCIAL DEMOCRACY (CONTINUED):Liberalism vs. Social Democracy
  36. INTEGRATION IN IR:Preconditions for Integration, Assessing Integration
  37. GLOBALIZATION AND ITS IMPLICATIONS:Advocates of Globalization
  38. THE GLOBAL DIVIDE:World Social Forum, Can the Global Divide Be Bridged?
  39. FOCUS ON FOREIGN INVESTMENTS:Pro-poor Foreign Investments
  40. CONFLICT AND CONFLICT RESOLUTION:Components of a Conflict
  41. CONFLICT RESOLUTION:Creative response, Appropriate assertiveness
  42. THE GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT:Global Concern for the Environment
  43. THE GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT:Environmental Concerns and IR, Some Other Issues
  44. HOW IR DIFFER FROM DOMESTIC POLITICS?:Strategies for altering state behavior
  45. CHANGE AND IR:Continuity in IR, Causality and counterfactuals, IR in a nutshell