Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Political Science: Concepts of State and Government
Political Science: Concepts of State and Government
Political Science: Concepts of State and Government
Elements of State
The modern state has four (4) essential elements.
1) People This refers to the inhabitants living within the state. Without people there
can be no functionaries to govern and no subjects to be governed.
2) Territory It includes not only the fixed portion of land over which the jurisdiction of
the state extends (territorial domain) but also the rivers and lakes therein, a certain
area of the sea which abuts upon its coasts and the air space above the land and
the waters. Thus, the domain of the state may be described as terrestrial, fluvial,
maritime, and aerial.
3) Government It refers to the agency through which the will of the state is
formulated, expressed, and carried out.