The State

Summary

In this global politics instructional video, Alan S introduces the concept of the state as a critical actor in international relations. Despite debates on its decline, the state remains significant with its characteristics: defined borders, a permanent population, a central government, sovereignty, mutual recognition, and a monopoly on force. The video also touches on the distinction between nations and states, highlighting potential tensions within a state's diverse national groups. The state's role in global politics is underscored as essential for understanding international relations.

Takeaways

• 🌍 The state is considered the most important actor in global politics, driving the way global politics unfolds.
• 📉 There is a debate on the decline of the state's power, with other entities like multinational corporations and NGOs gaining influence.
• 🏛️ The state is defined as a political and legal entity with distinct characteristics, including a defined territory, population, central government, and sovereignty.
• 🚧 All states have a border that delineates internal and external areas, which is a fundamental aspect of their existence.
• 👥 States have a permanent population, with citizens being the primary constituents, although there are exceptions.
• 🏢 Central governments in states have responsibilities such as controlling territory, administration, and law-making.
• 🔍 Sovereignty is a key principle for states, meaning they are free from external interference in their domestic affairs.
• 🔄 Recognition between states is mutual and signifies acceptance of each other's political and legal status, often extending to international institutions.
• 🚔 States have a monopoly on the use of force within their territory, with governments controlling legitimate force through entities like the police.
• 🏢 The concept of nation is distinct from the state; nations are cultural identities that may exist within a state and can sometimes be at odds with the central government.
• 🌟 Despite debates on its future, the state remains a crucial actor in the study of global politics and international relations.

Q & A

What is the primary focus of the video series Alan S introduces?

The video series focuses on the study of global politics and international relations, with an emphasis on key concepts in these fields.

Why is the state considered a critical actor in international relations according to the script?

The state is considered critical because it is a driver of global politics, and global politics happens the way it does because of the state's actions and policies.

What is the definition of the state used in the video?

The state is defined as a political and legal entity with clearly defined characteristics such as a border, permanent population, central government, sovereignty, recognition by other states, and a monopoly on the use of force.

What are the first two characteristics of a state as described in the script?

The first two characteristics of a state are having a clearly defined border and a permanent population.

What does the central government's role typically encompass according to the script?

The central government is responsible for controlling the territory, administering it, passing rules, creating laws, and essentially running everything internal to the state.

What does sovereignty mean in the context of states as explained in the video?

Sovereignty means that states are, in principle, free from interference from the outside in their domestic affairs.

Why is state recognition by other states important in global politics?

State recognition is important because it signifies that one state acknowledges another as a political and legal entity, which can also lead to legal standing in international institutions like the United Nations.

What is the significance of a state having a monopoly on the use of force?

A state having a monopoly on the use of force means that only the government can legitimately use force within its territory, maintaining order and security.

How does the script differentiate between the concepts of 'nation' and 'state'?

The script differentiates by stating that the state is a political and legal entity, while a nation refers to cultural identities. Nations may exist within states and may have distinct cultural, religious, or linguistic characteristics.

What challenges can arise from the presence of national groups within a state?

Challenges can arise when national groups feel that the state does not recognize their distinctiveness, leading to tensions and sometimes violence between these groups and the central government.

What is the debate surrounding the state's role in global politics as mentioned in the video?

There is a debate about whether the state is in decline, with some arguing that other organizations like institutions and multinational corporations are becoming more powerful and driving global politics.

Outlines

00:00

🌍 Introduction to the State in Global Politics

In this introductory video, Alan S discusses the significance of the state in global politics and international relations. He emphasizes that while the state is considered the most crucial actor, there's an ongoing debate about its decline due to the rise of other powerful entities like multinational corporations and non-governmental organizations. Alan introduces the concept of the state as a political and legal entity with five key characteristics: a defined territory with borders, a permanent population of citizens, a central government, sovereignty, and mutual recognition among states. He also touches on the concept of state nationalism and the potential tensions between national groups and central governments, hinting at the complexities within states and their role in global politics.

05:03

🏛️ The Characteristics and Challenges of the Modern State

Alan S continues the discussion by delving into the sixth characteristic of states: a monopoly on the use of force, which allows the central government to maintain order and security within its borders. He contrasts the concept of a state with that of a nation, highlighting the cultural identities of nations and the potential for conflict between national groups and the state. The video concludes with a recap of the state's defining traits and the acknowledgment of the state's enduring importance in global politics despite debates about its future. Alan invites viewers to join him for further exploration in subsequent videos.

Keywords

💡State

The 'state' is defined as a political and legal entity with a defined territory, population, central government, and recognized sovereignty. In the video, the state is central to global politics and international relations, being the primary actor driving global affairs. The script discusses the state's characteristics and its importance in maintaining order and security within its borders.

💡Global Politics

Global politics refers to the study of political interactions and dynamics on a global scale, involving states, international organizations, and other non-state actors. The video series aims to explore key concepts in this field, with the state being a focal point of analysis. The script emphasizes the state's role in shaping global politics and the debates surrounding its potential decline.

💡International Relations

International relations (IR) is the academic study of the relationships between states, as well as between other actors like international organizations and multinational corporations. The video script uses IR as a framework to discuss the state's role and its interactions with other entities in the global arena.

💡Sovereignty

Sovereignty is the concept of a state having supreme authority within its territorial boundaries, free from external interference in its domestic affairs. The script highlights the importance of sovereignty to states, as it is a principle that is taken seriously and can lead to tensions when perceived to be violated.

💡Recognition

Recognition in the context of the video refers to the act of one state acknowledging another as a legitimate political and legal entity. This mutual recognition is crucial for states to establish diplomatic relations and participate in international institutions like the United Nations.

💡Monopoly on the Use of Force

This concept indicates that within a state's territory, only the central government has the legitimate authority to use force, such as through maintaining a police force. The script uses this to illustrate the state's role in ensuring internal order and security.

💡Central Government

The central government is the administrative authority responsible for governing a state, including making laws, controlling territory, and providing public services. The video script describes it as the entity that 'runs everything internal to the state,' emphasizing its role in the state's functioning.

💡Borders

Borders are the geographical boundaries that define a state's territory. The script mentions that all states have clearly defined borders, which distinguish what is internal to the state from what is external.

💡Permanent Population

A permanent population refers to the residents living within a state's territory, who are primarily citizens. The video script notes that states have a permanent population, which is a defining characteristic and essential for the state's existence.

💡Nation

A nation, as discussed in the video, refers to a group of people who share a common cultural identity, which may differ from the state they reside in. The script explores the distinction between nations and states, and how national groups' aspirations can sometimes conflict with the state's interests.

💡State Nationalism

State nationalism is the promotion of loyalty to the central government and the state by its citizens. The script mentions that states may promote this to ensure unity and loyalty, which can be a point of tension with national groups seeking recognition of their distinct identities.

Highlights

The state is considered the most important actor in global politics today.

The state's role in global politics is being debated due to the rise of other powerful entities like institutions and corporations.

A state is defined as a political and legal entity with specific characteristics.

States possess a clearly defined territory with borders.

All states have a permanent population, which primarily consists of citizens.

Central governments in states have responsibilities such as controlling territory and creating laws.

Sovereignty is a key characteristic, where states are free from outside interference in their domestic affairs.

States are recognized by each other, signifying their legitimacy as political and legal entities.

Recognition by other states is crucial and can have significant implications in global politics.

States have a monopoly on the use of force within their territory, maintaining order and security.

Many states contain multiple national groups, which can lead to complex relationships with the central government.

The distinction between a nation and a state is important, with nations being cultural identities and states being political and legal entities.

Tensions can arise between national groups and central governments over issues like language, religion, and cultural recognition.

State nationalism is promoted to ensure loyalty, but not all citizens may be comfortable with it.

The debate on the state's decline is ongoing, with arguments about its importance and future role in global politics.

Despite debates, the state remains a critical actor in the study of global politics and international relations.

Transcripts

hi my name is Alan S and I'm sitting

outside the global Lounge here at the

University of British Columbia welcome

to the global politics instructional

video series in this series we'll be

looking at some of the key Concepts in

the study of global politics and

international Rel ations today we're

going to start with the state now

obviously the state is critically

important as an actor in international

relations why is that so well first of

all many people argue that the state is

the most important actor in global

politics today and it's important

because the state is a driver of global

politics global politics happens the way

it does because of the

state now many others argue that the

state is in Decline that it's uh losing

this power other organizations they say

like institutions and multinational

corporations and non-governmental

organizations are all becoming more

powerful and they are starting to drive

why things happen in global

politics but whatever you might think of

the state it's pretty clear that the

state is a very important actor and a

very important part of our subject

matter so today let's have a look at the

state so let's

begin okay so the

state now there's a lot of different

definitions of the state and you can

look them up if you like but the one

we're going to work with is the state is

a

political and legal entity

and I'm just going to draw a picture of

a

state like this and all states have a

certain set of characteristics and the

first characteristic is they all have a

border that is to say they have a

clearly defined territory where it's

clear what is internal to the state and

what is external to the state

second all states have a

permanent population

essentially people within the state for

the most part are citizens now are some

exceptions to that of course but Most

states have a permanent population so

here are some citizens and they all look

very happy and of course not all

citizens are happy so I'll just draw an

unhappy citizen here U but the whole

idea of course then is all countries

have a permanent

population third all states have a

central government

and this government and I'll just draw a

government building here at the center

symbolize that all have certain

responsibilities they all control the

territory uh they control the

administration of the territory they

pass rules create laws Etc the central

government basically runs everything

internal uh to the

state fourth all states are

considered

sovereign uh and at least in principle

and what this means is that all states

in principle are free from interference

from the outside in their domestic

affairs and States take this very

seriously and you will often see in

global politics uh States complaining

that another state or a group uh are

doing something that is interfering in

the domestic affairs of their country

and they'll get very upset about that

because they'll consider that a

violation

of their

sovereignty the fifth characteristic of

states is that they are all

recognized by each other that is to say

if we have another state let's call it

State

B right State B can choose to

recognize this state here which we'll

call State a and by extending that

recognition what state B is saying is

that we recognize you state a as a

political and legal entity and

presumably State a then does the same

for State B in return and this is

important because not all states

actually recognize other states as

political and legal entities and if they

don't that really says something because

essentially what one country is saying

to another is we don't recognize your

right to exist and uh that can be a very

very important issue in global politics

in addition states that are recognized

also will be recognized in the form of a

legal standing in international

institutions so for example both

countries A and B will be members of the

United Nations and will have a seat in

the United Nations General

Assembly the sixth characteristic that

all states share is they have a

monopoly on the use of

force and what that really means is that

inside their territory the central

government has control over the

legitimate use of force inside that

state only the government for example

can have a police force so I'll just

draw a little police officer

here and that's supposed to be a police

cap I know it doesn't really look like

one but let's just pretend it is and the

whole idea then is the government is

responsible for maintaining order and

security inside the

state now uh one of the characteristics

of modern International politics is that

many states in fact most of them have

many national groups inside them these

nations exist within States and there's

a very important distinction between the

idea of nation and the idea of the state

the state is a political and legal

entity but nations are cultural

identities and this group of people here

living inside this state may consider

themselves uh somewhat separate from the

state maybe they have a different

religion maybe a different culture maybe

a different language and the

relationship between these individuals

in this National Group and the state in

particular the central government may be

very awkward uh for example they may

feel that the state does not truly

recognize their language or doesn't

extend them religious rights or doesn't

consider them an independent cultural

group and that could create attention

because most States want to ensure the

Loyalty of their citizens to the central

government and so they'll promote

something called State

nationalism but not all citizens are

comfortable with that many national

groups want to be recognized for their

distinctiveness some may even want to

have their own State and so this creates

a lot of tension and sometimes violence

between National groups and Central

governments so take all of this together

a border

population central government

sovereignty recognition and a monopoly

on the use of force and you have the

central characteristics of the modern

state so that was the state obviously

the state is still a very important

actor in global politics people debate

about whether or not the state is in

Decline they argue about how important

it really is and there's a big debate

about the future of the state but one

thing is very clear the state for those

of us who study global politics and

international relations is still a very

important actor I hope you enjoyed this

video join me next time