The study of States and the similarities and differences in

their political institutions and forms of government are in the

centre ofthe study of comparative politics and governnment.

What isa state?

States areindependentand artificial political entities that

has nonopoly over certain functions like legitimate use of
force, rule makingand rute implementation
State can also be called a political community all other
community are included in the state because it embraces all
the rest. In order to obtain and keep its place as a highest
and most encompassing community a state must be more
powerful than any of the community it incorporates. This
implies that power is vitalfor any discussion of states and
politics. The essential elements of the state includes a
population, territory, sovereignty and an effective
government.

Astate entails aterritory that it consider to of its own. It's

borders may have been undisputed and secure for centuries
or constantly challenging.
State entails a population that is persons livings together. To
be a people the individuals concerned must have something
incommnon but exactly what they must share to be called a
people- language, religion,culture ,a common history is a
highly contested matter.

State is sovereign that is it holds the highest power and in

principle can act with complete freedom and independence
it has sovereignty. Sovereignty is aclaim to ultimateoutside.
authority and power without any interferance from
a government to carry out the function of state.
State needs
have have any kind of regime system in place
A state may
government is necessary element of state.
but a

Another important feature of state is that it must be

states. States are acknowledged by
recognized by different ambassadors.
other states and they exchange

The rise of modern state

began with small city states where

The development of state followed by rise of empires
there wasruled byelites this c1uzens was notat a significant
where the control over life of
there was ruled byelites this was followed by rise of empires
where the control over life of citizens was not at a significant
degree. Then came the dark age when there was strong hold
of pope and monarch over citizens. The divine theory of state
was practiced and promoted. Then social contract theory
gained prominence and state became necessary evil. This
was based on the principle that the state is best that governs
the least. This was followed by [Link] in 1990s
new right came to power. Thatcher and Regan proposed to
role back the state in. then came the eraof globalisation
which transformed the state. Globalization is widely claimed
tocause declining power of the state even its death.
Nevertheless, statesretain a huge amount of power over
there citizens and as actors in the international system.

The earliest 'States' in their centralized and

elaborated
were born in Western Europe in the 15th and 16th
form
centuries.
People were governed by two sets of authorities, namely the
Church (religious) andempires (political). There was social
and political hierarchy in the society - at the top stood
and under God, the Pope and the Emperor. The God,
Owned property and was thus a major economicChurch and politicab
player in its own right, but it also functioned to provide the
The birth of the territorial secular state was closely linked to
the religious warsthat haunted Europe in the wake of the
Reformation. The epistemological basis of modern state lies
in the intellectual traditions of Renaissance and Reformation
movements in Western Europe which advocated the idea of
modernity based on individualism, autonomy and separation
of politica and religious sphere. Medieval Europe was
characterized by conflicts and instability caused by atussle
for power, wealth andauthority between political authority
i.e. kings, and religious authority i.e. Church. This led to 30
year war which was ended by treatyof Westphalian
establishing system of separation of political and religious
sphere.

It accorded higher and more elaborate powers to secular

political authority over the religious one in the matters of
state politics. The treaty played an important role in
designating essential features of a modern state: Defined
territorial boundaries,population in terms of'citizens' and
'others', sovereignty and governance, and recognition of the
state as asovereign over its claimed territory.
Thomas Hobbes in his lassle text 'Leviathan expandedthe
concept of an absolute soverelgn authority borne out of a
hypothetical soclal contract which authorlzesthe sovereign
to rule on behalf of individuals by providing a system of
peace, security and stability, otherwise precarlous because
of an anarchic society comprising of rational selfpreserving
individualss seeking to maximise their survivalpotential
through self-ordained measures. This idea of tacit contract
informedby consent and reciprocal obligations and duties
laid the foundation of modern democratic states,

The French in the 18th century were a major shift in that "the
beheadingof the monarch, either ooncretely or symbolically,
and theintroduction of popular sovereignty, accelerated the
disintegration of hierarchies between different categories of
people'within the state.

The state in Western Europe was premised on modern

institutions like rule of law, property rights, impersonal
bureaucracy [Link] therefore enjoyed legitimacy unlike the
colonial states where the rulers were detested by the native
population. These colonial pors exported the colonialrule
to their colonies in Asia, AfricCid the Pacific, where they
attemnted tn einerimnnee theirnwn eonnentione nfthe
 tempted
o to r C nOonthe
ation-etate without. The existing treditional, reigious end
oliticalmilieu of these colonal etates often offered
otstonoeto Such imposition,thereby underminingthe
MDDOt nOd for ouch etructural transformation, The socio
oonomlo dieoontnuities end ruptures that hed been
trodubed by colonlallsm, resulted in economlc, politicel,
ocial, cuturel, ethnic and raclal conflkctoin the postcolontal
tate and problens ofinternal security. Having been dred
elresouces during by their colonisers, In the post
mdependence period, these erstwhile colonies strugsled to
mtchup wth the European states in terns of material and
Conomic capabilities. However, in some new states like
dia,the malntonance of the colonial båreaucracy and
eourity institutions like the police and amed forces, helped
ganise capital and resources for national development and
Pep private individuals away from gaining too much control
istate power. The VWestern European model of 'state
ysten' became alegoy for ststemalding in Asia and Arica
etherenonsin their geopolitical and cultural
ettings, The state model was also coveted because it oove
DYegnty and afegitimate basis for partiaipntion inthe
Memetionalsystem, And so, the postcolonial state
tempted to replicste the modern nationstate of Europ0
roush varlous domentin nntentntions and ennrontetne
What is a nation?
Nation are shaped by collection of factors.
Nation is a collection of cultural and psychological
Oommonness. Asocialgroup which shares a common
ideology a common institutions and customs and the sense
of homogeneity. AStrong group sense of belonging is
present and associated with a particular territory considered
tobe peculiarly its own. Afeeling of sameness oneness or
belongingness exist in the members of nation. Politically
nations is group of peoplewho regard themselves asa
natural political community expressed through questof sov.
Nationalism has been a drivingforce for dreating states. It is
the idea of cultural identity which lay the foundation for the
creation of state. Nevertheless, nation can survive without
boundaries. Eg- Rohingyas. The nation is that identity which
shapes politics. Thus, Feeling connected with a particular
religion,culture, language, ethnicity, values and customs is
nationhood) For eg. Jews had nationhood until 1947.
Nation- state
Ns is aform of pol org or potideal.
state based on the acceptance of a common culture a
common history andthe cómmon fate irrespective of
whatever political social and economic differences may exist
between the mermbers of the hation state. By 20tn century it
began to be declared that age of nationalism is over because
its task has been completed as the world has become world
of nation states. The modern nation-state aims to unify all
the nations and submit them legally and politically to the
state. Astate may consist of different nations. But not every
nation has a different state of its own. Nation-state is an idea
of homogeneous nation and governed by its oWn sovereign
state, lIt offers cultural cohesion and political unity. The idea
of nation-state seems irresistible united political community.
However, soon powerful forces emerged to threaten
relevance of nation state.

End of nation state debate

Hyperglob- O' Brian, O'May. It is argued that globalisation has

eroded the capacity of the states to perform independent
functions due to the influences of the international
organisations and MNCs on their decisions. World peace
maintained bysupernational body like UN.
Globalised market, flow of goods and eco org means state
cannot control eco destiny. Flow of culture means weakening
of distinctive natural culture. It has reduced the capacity of
the states to perform welfare functions and has given wayto
the concent of a minimalist state that nerforms finctions
Sceptics- Paul Heist, Ragmond. Glob has been happening
since ages nowjust the speed has increased. The state has
expanded its role.

Complex glob Thesis- David Held, Dickens. Globalization is a

on ongoing process. it is reconfiguration of power. in recent
times the nature of state is changing as there is rise of
polycentric politics and economic system pressure group as
pówer centers. there is high inter states and intra states
Competition. There is atilt towards newliberalism. economic
and political processes are challenging traditional notion of
nationhoodand citizenshipteading to the debate of identity
and sovereignty. Activity of state moved away from
economic management towards procedural and regulatory
functions. Diplomacy has increased manifold over the past
few years. The rise of transgovernmentalism has changed
the face of the state.

Conclusion

The state and nations are separate concept. from the early
19th century onwards the birth of nation state transformed
the state system reconfiguring political power in the world
functions. Diplomacy has increased manifold over the past
few years. The rise of transgvernmentalism has changed
the face of the state.

Conclusion

The state and nations are separate çoncept. from the early
19th century onwards the birth of nation state transformed
the state system reconfiguring political power în the world
and giving states domestic cohesion and the sense of
identity in a waythat they previously lacked. the nation state
debatedwithin the context of globalization. the nature of
state has been transformed by the forces of glob. The
transformmation of communityinterms of migration has also
contributed to this change. It is giving rise to greater
competition and the postmodern state. the state is required
to take care of interconnectedness in level of pol coop. Thus,
the state has in no way came to an end it is just that the
nature and role of state is changing,