Essay on “Nation State” (1050

Words)
Both the ‘state’ and the ‘nation’ are the terms frequently used in international politics.
Both involved different meanings from past usage in the course of the period from the
end of 18th century to the outbreak of the First World War. During the twentieth century,
the two terms were regarded as synonymous, or at least both incorporated in the
composite term ‘nation-state.
“Nations are distinguishable from each other by language, religion, ethnic or racial
identity, and above all, by a shared cultural history. Together these distinguishing
characteristics blend into a national culture. National culture influences family life,
education, organisational culture, and economic and political structures. The sense of
belonging to a nation is one of the most important focal points of cultural identity. In the
course of time, myth mixes with historical events in the collective memory, and the
associated symbols serve as powerful emotive links between present and past, and
even future.”

The modern definition of state is based on the principles set forth in 1648 Treaty of
Westphalia. The important characteristics of a state are:

1. Legitimacy:
That all states have a right to exist and that the authority of the government in that state
is supreme and accepted as lawful.

2. Sovereignty:
That there exists no higher authority than the state; that no other state or international
organisation can compel that state against its will to do something will to do something it
does not want to do.

3. Formal Obligations:
That state must behave according to the rules agreed under international law, conduct
its relations with other states according to rules of diplomacy; conduct war according to
the international rules of war; implement treaties that it has signed; and treat diplomatic
representatives of the other states, prisoners of wars and refugees according to
generally accepted tenets of human rights.
Thus, the term ‘nation state’ is a convergence between state and nation – a state
composed of psychologically identified people. Most often scholars view the term
nation-state as a misleading one, for there is no exact correspondence between state
and nation. There are states with more than one nation (Britain, USA, and India),
nations with more than one state (ethnic Albanians, Hungarians, Serbs, etc.), states
with no definite national identity (Chad) and nations with no definite state (the
Palestinian Arabs).

The most important feature of the history of past millennium, compared with previous
millennia, has been the rise of nation-state. Parts of the world, which formed nation-
states at an early stage, flourished and dominated regions where the nation-state rose
later.

Formation of nation-state facilitated easy flow of trade, travel, and investment without
any barriers. Until the two centuries of state-making that preceded Westphalia, the
world was not organised in one system. There were several empires, such as empire of
Arab-Islam, of the Indians, of the Mongol-Tarters, and of the Chinese.

To qualify to be a Nation-State, Following are required:

i. Defined geographical territory

ii. Sovereignty

iii. Pursuing political objectives.

A nation-state must have territory with defined boundaries, rather than simply a people.
Nation-state exercises control over that territory and it compasses people, territory and
institutions. State is the legal gatekeeper, controlling what crosses its boundaries.

The second feature of statehood is sovereignty, which refers to the supreme legal
authority of the state. National sovereignty is a sixteenth century idea whose invention is
attributed to Jean Bodin. It was consolidated as a reality at the treaty of Westphalia of
1648 that tended the thirty years of war.

A state system was created at the expense of weakening the powers of Holy Roman
Empire and the House of Habsburg. This marked the most decisive shift in the locus “of
control over citizens from the domination by nation-states. Sovereignty empowers the
state to enact law or right to command over the inhabitants of its particular territory. This
power is absolute. To enforce the law state has the monopoly to use coercive power.

Sovereignty, as a principle, can be of three types – national sovereignty (freedom from

colonial domination), parliamentary sovereignty (sovereignty of elected representatives),
and sovereignty of ordinary citizens (organised power must be subservient to the power
of individual citizens). There are paradoxes of sovereignty. When national sovereignty
and the sovereignty of elected parliamentarians are eroded, the sovereignty of ordinary
citizens is sometimes enhanced.

A nation-state, irrespective of following any political ideology, pursues four political

objectives – political sovereignty, national prestige and prosperity, national security, and
protection of cultural identity. Sovereignty, as already described, means supremacy to
enact and enforce law.

But most nation-states have more than one nation-state inside their borders, with own
laws or constitutions, like the US. In some states there is more than one nationality and
such nationalities do not accept to belong to that state. Such perceived differences lead
to terrorism (as in China, Spain, Turkey) or the outright warfare (Shia and Sunni in Iraq).
Nationalistic feelings and their consequences have strong effects on international
business. In Bosnia, many international business firms lost their capital, business
partners, and many customers.

Every nation-state tries to enhance national prestige and prosperity which often results
in protection and subsidizing of national interests. Even the US, the most dominating
actor of globalisation is no exception. Developing countries do so by distorting
competition in favor of local industry.

The developed ones raise the questions of child labor and minimum wages to protect
themselves against highly competitive products and services. Europe and the US have
been constantly protecting their agriculture through huge subsidies and high tariffs on
imports.

Every nation-state does whatever possible and necessary for its national security. The
political sensitivities of national defence prevent a country to have cross-border
alliances, how-so-ever meaningful they may be.
The US does not purchase military items from foreign controlled companies or their
subsidiaries. A Chinese company was not allowed to control a US port, and another
company was not allowed to participate in India’s telecom field for security and safety
concerns.

Nation-states, like national security, want to preserve cultural identity, an important

element of nationhood. A total ‘Americanisation’ of life is disliked by most European
governments with France leading the pack. The European Parliament advocates curbs
on foreign TV to keep out US sitcoms and game-shows. France, Ireland, Portugal, and
Belgium have fixed quotas on their airwaves.