Elements of The State

Elements of the State
• Population
• Territory
• Government
• Sovereignty
➢ State is a human institution.
➢ How many people are needed to form a state? Can a state have too small or too
large a population?
➢ According to Plato, an ideal city-state should have 5040 citizens to achieve the
highest good. The number excluded women, children and slaves. Including them
the number can be 50,000.
➢ However, Aristotle claimed:
- the population should not be so small as not to become even self- sufficient;
nor should it be too large as to become unmanageable.
➢ it should be large enough to ensure its military and economic independence; a
very populous state cannot be well governed, so population growth must be
checked.
Population
Population:
Questions arise about whether the population in a specific state is going up,
down, or staying the same. What roles do things like food supply, technology,
cities growing, religion, education, and war play in how the population changes?
Should government policies try to make the population grow faster or slower?
While some countries like the US and Canada still have room for more people,
others like India and Bangladesh are dealing with too many people. For example,
rapid population growth has made the amount of land each person has smaller
and smaller.( For example, uncontrolled population growth has already
decreased the amount of land available per person to 24 square meters or less
and the amount of land suitable for farming to around 11 square meters.
(Source: "Rethinking the Population Boom," The Daily Star, 2016)
For countries dealing with too many people, should they promote birth control,
produce more food, or even fight wars to get land and resources from richer
neighbor states?
It's important to have a balance between a state's population size and its
resources. A state with a small population might struggle to stay independent
when faced with larger states.
 What is the role of technology and diplomacy in this situation?(optional)
Technology and diplomacy can play key roles here. Technology can help smaller
states make the most of their resources and defend themselves more effectively.
Diplomacy allows them to form alliances and negotiate with larger states to
protect their interests without resorting to conflict.
The idea of national self-determination raises the question of whether a small

state can successfully gain independence against much larger ones like the
former Soviet Union or China.
Characteristic of the population: What kind of people constitute a particular state?
Are they literate, well educated, and culturally an vocationally advanced? Are they
skilled in modern technology?
 Also, are they homogeneous people, made up of one rather than many
nationalities? Do they speak a single language? Do they have a common
religion and subscribe to the same body of cultural traditions?
 Homogeneity is an important factor in state survival.
A state with people from different races, nationalities, religions, languages, and
customs might face more problems inside and outside its borders.
The basic ingredients of nationalism are common blood, language, religion,
historical tradition, and above all common customs and habits
Nationalism:
Since the ancient periods people have been aware of their racial or cultural
differences, and each people tended to regard itself superior. E.g., The Greeks
termed the Non-Greek as “barbarian”; the Jews considered themselves a chosen
people
However, these ethnocentric feelings weren't exactly the same as modern
nationalism, which emerged alongside the rise of the nation-state as a new form of
political organization, like in India.
Another example is how the people of Spain and England began to see themselves
as Spaniards and Englishmen, instead of identifying solely with their regions like
Andalusians or Yorkshiremen. This change occurred as these countries shifted from
being clusters/collections of feudal territories to unified national monarchies.
 What are the factors of the new sense of nationalism?
The invention of the printing press, the development of native languages,
wars fought for independence, and the shared history and traditions all
played roles in creating this new feeling called "nationalism."
Territory
 How much territory is necessary for the maintenance of the state?
There are countries of all sizes, from big ones like Russia to small ones like
the Maldives. According to international law, all independent states have
the same rights, no matter how big or small they are.
However, a tiny/small country might feel vulnerable and need help from
bigger countries to stay safe.
Resources, Technology, and Climate:
England became a major power because it industrialized, using its abundant
natural resources with new technology. However, there are exceptions, like
Japan.
People in temperate areas /cooler areas tend to be healthier than those in
the tropics/hot regions.
Rodee suggested that people living in favorable climates, such as the
Greeks, Romans, English, and French, have had a significant impact on
history. What do you think?
Geography:
Where a state is located is really important for how it survives and grows.
Whether it's on an island, a peninsula, or a whole continent, or if it has
access to the sea or is stuck in the middle of land. Also, if it's shielded by
things like oceans, mountains, or deserts, or if it's surrounded by strong and
aggressive neighbor states.
 Island powers like Great Britain and Japan developed strong navies, whereas
continental powers like Russia and Germany typically depends on the military
strength of their land armies.
Government:
What is government?
It's the important system that helps the state stay alive, do its jobs, and
achieve its goals.
Government isn't the same as the state because the state is everyone in the
community, while the government is just a small part of the population.
People living in a certain area can't make a state unless they have a
government to organize them politically.
For a country to run smoothly, its government needs to work well. If there's
no government, there would be chaos and disorder, and eventually, the
country would fall apart, like what happened in Iraq.
Government is made up of three parts: the Legislative, Executive, and
Judiciary.
Different countries have different kinds of governments, like monarchy,

democracy, and dictatorship. But no matter the type, a country can't exist
without a government.
Sovereignty:
What does sovereignty mean?
It is a useful concept of political science that sets the state apart from other
groups.
Sovereignty is the highest and ultimate power in a state, where no other legal
power is higher.
Jean Bodin, a French thinker, said sovereignty is constant, undivided, and
absolute. This means the supreme authority can't give away or share its
powers.
Two Aspects of Sovereignty: Internal and External
Internal Sovereignty means that certain people or groups in every
independent state have the ultimate legal authority to give commands
and make sure they're followed.
The sovereign power has complete authority over all individuals or groups
within the state. Professor Laski summed it up well: "It gives orders to
everyone and every group within its territory, but takes orders from none of
them."
External Sovereignty, on the other hand, means that the state isn't
under the control of any other authority and is free from any pressure
from other states.
Every independent state has the right to end trade agreements and make
military pacts. Each state is independent from others or any other political
power.
If a state doesn't have enough power to manage things within its borders, its
sovereignty is at risk, as seen in countries like Iraq or Afghanistan.
In international law, the term "state" is only used for independent, sovereign
entities, and isn't used for colonies or dependent territories, like the British
dominions.

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Elements of the State

The idea of national self-determination raises the question of whether a small

Different countries have different kinds of governments, like monarchy,

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