Nations, States, Sub-nationalism, etc.

1. Nation States

2. What are Nation States?
 Why are there so many separate countries?

3.  Humans have always partitioned
space to separate themselves from
other human groups
 This is similar to other species (think of
a dog marking its territory)
 The creation of territory is the basis
for political organization and action

4.  Most states are recognized as such by other states, and their
territory is respected: they are governed by a recognizable
body, with rules for the administration of the state.
 What state do you live in?
 Who recognizes your state?
 What is the body that governs your state?

5.  Individuals are therefore tied to a state and subject to its rules
(citizens)
 A Nation is not the same as a state. A nation is
 Cultural group which is based on variables such as
 Language – Example:
 Religion – Example:
 Ethnicity – Example:
 These factors give people a sense of identity.

6.  A State is
 Formally defined political territory
 Clearly Defined Set of Instutitions
 Including Rule Making and Enforcement
 Claims Exclusive Jurisdiction over all the people and activities
within the state.
 A Nation State state is a combination of both…
 A Clearly defined cultural group (nation) occupying a defined
territory (a state)

7. How did the Nation State arise?
 Required the concept of Nationalism (belief that the
nation and the state should be the same), and that there
is no other appropriate way to delimit a nation state. It is
therefor the natural political unit.
 It has also been argued that nationalism also means
 All members of the nation have the right to live within the
the borders of the state.
 That it may be inappropriate for other national groups to live
within the borders.
 The gov’t must be in the hands of the dominant group.

8.  In 19th Century Europe, Nationalism became the dominant
criteria for defining a nation in the 19th century. Before
that, most people tended to just accept whatever empire or
leader was in charge.
 What caused this to change???

9.  Four possible explanations for the emergence
of the nation state:
 Response to political philosophers, especially
Jean Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778)
 Desire to be closer to people of similar cultural
background
 Transition from feudalism to capitalism
 People who benefitted from the means of
production wanted a stable state (Marxist
Idea)
 Collapse of local communities (because of
industrialization) and the need for coordination
of a larger group
I am Jean Jacques
Rousseau, and I
Approve this
Message.

10. Not all states are Uni-National
 Despite the rise of nationalism, the world has many
examples of multinational and bi-national states.
 What are some examples? Why do they meet this
criteria?

11. Multi and Bi-National States
 African countries whose boundaries were
drawn by Europeans without considering
African national cultural groups.
 Many multinational state are unstable in
Africa.
 Bi-national states include Canada and
Belgium, both of which suffer internal
stresses due to differing political desires of
dominant cultural groups.

12. Cultural Sub Nationalism
 Cultural Sub Nationalism
 When the entire population of
the state is not bound by the
same sense of nationialism, but is
split among local primary
allegiances.
 This can lead to civil war or
international disputes.
 Example: Sri Lanka’s civil war
just ended in 2009. The LTTE
wanted to create a separate
independent state in the
North. India became involved
sending troops into Sri Lanka.

13. Sub-Nationalism
 Sub-nationalism is one of the centrifugal forces that pull
nation apart, as compared to centripetal forces (like a
strong sense of nationalism) which tend to bind a state
together.
 Sub-nationalism has led to strong authoritarian rulers in
some states, especially Africa, who argue it is the only
way to keep the country intact.