Sovereignty

Sovereignty:

The full right and power of a governing body over itself without interference from outside bodies.

Peace of Westphalia

  • Established the precedent of peace reached by diplomatic congress and a new system of political order in Europe based upon the concept of co-existing sovereign states
  • Main principles: states have sovereign jurisdiction over their territory, and relations between states are structured acceptance of sovereign independence
  • This in turn created the first modern state system, which is called the "Westphalian system"

Nation

  • A group of people who are common/have a shared identity.
  • Can be a common language, ethnicity, religion, culture, etc.
  • Does not necessarily have its own "statehood" (e.g. the Kurds).

State

  • A state is an entity that has political institutions.

      • 4 Requirements of a State

    • Population: Permanent Body of people
    • Territory: Clear borders and land
    • Sovereignty: Free to make laws without referring to higher power
    • Government:
      • Make laws
      • Keep order
      • Help citizens
      • Protect the country
  • A state can be composed of many different nations (e.g. Canada)
  • Nation-state: A state with a common culture/nation as well as an independent government

    • Internal vs External Sovereignty

    • Internal Sovereignty: refers to a state's authority and control within its own borders.

    • External Sovereignty: refers to a state's independence and autonomy in relation to other states and international actors (e.g. recognition of statehood).

    Types of Sovereignty

      Legal Sovereignty:

    • Representative of the supreme law of the land.
    • Is not restrained by moral or natural law.
    • Creates laws and all are to be obeyed.

      Political Sovereignty:

    • Tied with legal sovereignty.
    • The political power of a state enforces institutions.
    • Can change depending on the political whims of the people.

      Popular Sovereignty:

    • The source of all authority is with the people.
    • Rousseau called this the "general will of the people".

      National Sovereignty:

    • Simply the idea that sovereignty rests with the entire collective of a state.

      Titular Sovereignty:

    • A ceremonial leader (such as the British Crown) is a titular sovereign.

      De Jure/De Facto Sovereignty:

    • De Jure sovereignty represents someone who has the "legal authority" to be in power.
    • De Facto sovereignty represents someone who has the "physical power" to be in control.
    • Used in distinguishing "real" sovereigns in times of war (e.g. Hamas has de facto control of Gaza, while the Palestinian Authority has de jure control)

    Theories of Sovereignty

      Monoistic - Absolute Sovereignty:

    • "Sovereignty [is] the highest power in a state which is subject to no laws but is itself the maker and master of them."
    • The government is one entity

      Pluralist - Limited Sovereignty:

    • The state is made of multiple bodies and groups with control
    • Associations that emerge naturally to fulfill diverse needs of members of society must have functional freedom
    • The state, which is not one but numerous associations, must not claim monopoly over sovereignty

    Nationalism vs Patriotism

    • Nationalism: Identification with one's own nation and support of its interests, especially to the exclusion or detriment of the interests of other nations.

    • Types of Nationalism:
      • Civic: shared political rights, voluntary
      • Ethnic: often exclusive of people without ethnic characteristics of the majority (attempts to justify ethnic cleansing, genocide, etc)
      • Religious: shared religious identity
      • Economic: emphasizes economic interests

    • Patriotism: Sense of pride, love and loyalty towards one's country. Generally seen as a positive and inclusive sentiment unlike nationalism