In common discourse, the terms state and nations are often used as synonyms of each other. In the study of political science, particularly in this course, the discussion will go on how to use the said terms in their appropriate purpose. This lesson will look at how these terms grow apart yet interdependent in terms of definition. In hopes of elevating these concepts, this module will also talk about globalization and its impact to the concept of states, nations, and nation-states.
State and Nation Defined
A State is a self-governing entity, a term that can be interchange with the term country. A nation, however does not necessarily have to be approximated geographically. To be a nation is to simply be a group of people that share a common culture, or traits, a different kind of approximation (Rosenberg, in the reference it is 2012).
The state is a political community that has sovereign jurisdiction over a clearly defined territory, and exercises authority through several institutions, including the government. Heywood (2013) offers five features of a state:
It is sovereign.
Its institutions are public.
It is an exercise of legitimation.
It is an instrument of domination.
It is a territorial association.
The state has four elements, namely: sovereignty, government, territory, and people. Sovereignty refers to both jurisdiction (the ability of a state to exercise its authority over its territory and people) and independence (the freedom from external control). The government is the machinery of the state through which the people’s will is formulated and carried out. The territory includes all the land, sea, and airspace the state exercises jurisdiction on. Finally, the people or population is the organization of human beings living together as a community.
People. They simply referred to as the inhabitants of the state. The number of the population must be numerous enough for self-sufficiency, able to defend themselves and must be enough to govern and sustain the state.
Territory. The fixed space or portion of earth inhabited by the people of the state. The components of the territory are the land mass, otherwise known as the terrestrial domain; the inland and external waters, which make up the maritime and fluvial domain; and the air space above the land and waters, called the aerial domain (Cruz, 2002).
Government. it is defined as the agency or instrumentality through which the will of the State is formulated, expressed and realized. The government may perform two functions: Constituent Functions constitute the bonds of society and are compulsory. On the other hand, ministrant functions are those undertaken to advance the general interests of the society like charity, trade, and industry and public works.
Sovereignty. It refers to the independent authority over a geographical area, such as territory. Sovereignty is also the authority the state exercises to exact obedience over its constituents.
Fundamental Powers of the State
The fundamental power of the state are the police power, the power of the eminent domain, and the power of taxation. These powers are inherent to the state and need not be conferred by law or constitutional provision.
The police power is the power of the state to enact laws or regulations that promote common good in relation to an individual’s enjoyment of his right, liberty and property. Of the three inherent powers of the state, police power is the most pervasive.
The power of eminent domain pertains to that power of the state to expropriate private property for public use, upon payment of just compensation. There are requisites to be observed in the exercise of this power. 1.) There must be a necessity to acquire a private property; 2.) the acquired property shall be for public use; 3.) the owner must be paid just compensation; and 4.) There must be observance of due process in the expropriation of property.
The power of taxation is the power of the state to impose charges upon person’s property, occupation, and others as may be defined by law in order to defray government expenses. There are inherent limitations to the taxing power of the state, amongst them are: 1) Taxing power is exclusive for the state and therefore cannot be delegated to any private individual; and 2) Taxes are for public use and purposes only.
Globalization and the Nation-State
Globalization is considered to be the most important threat to the nation-state. But what is this phenomenon? What impact does it have to people and nation-states? Heywood (2013) defined globalization as the process through which societies have become so intertwined or interconnected that events and decisions in one part of the world have significant effects on the lives of people in the other part of the world. Transformations in production of goods and the flow of financial capital can be a result of the further integration of economies in the world economy. For example, changes in domestic politics and economy of the Philippines can actually be caused by events happening in different countries. To illustrate this, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Integration may have caused the developments in Philippine educational policies (e.g., the implementation of the K to 12 Basic Education Program) so that the movement of students within the member-countries will be “free-flowing” too. How and why does this happen? What are the characteristics of globalization as a phenomenon? Heywood (2013) enumerates its features.
1. Declining relevance of geographical distance
2. Lessening significance of territorial boundaries
3. Deepening and broadening of political processes, such that the local, national, and global events constantly interact.
Globalization resulted in a growing interdependence among actors, activities, and processes all over the world. Several forms of globalization can be identified, of which Heywood (2013) listed three—economic, cultural, and political. The following table summarizes the key features of these forms of globalization and enumerates some examples.
Forms
Features/
Characteristics
Manifestations/
Examples
Economic Globalization
Globalization
All economies have been integrated in a global economy.
Internationalized production
Financial capital flowing freely between countries
Cultural Globalization
Information, commodities, and images from one part of the world make cultural differences between nations and individuals less significant
McDonaldization or what George Ritzer (1993) called as rationalization that Max Weber found in bureaucracies extended to fast-food chains. This then leads to standardization of processes such as production.
Information revolution
Global brands penetrating the local scene
Political Globalization
The importance of international organizations, transnational organizations, and nongovernmental organizations is being recognized.
Influence on domestic issues of organizations such as the United Nations, World Trade Organization, World Bank, Asian Development Bank, International Red Cross, and World Wide Fund for Nature.
Thank you.