Unit 4: Political Patterns and Processes
the state is the state (country): political unit with a permanent population and boundaries that are recognized by other states that allows
primary political
entity on the world
political map
types of political
entities
forces that shape the
political landscape
Compiled by Allison Ferrucci
for the administration of laws, collection of taxes, and provision of defense
nation: people who think of themselves as one based on a sense of shared culture and history and who desire political
autonomy
e.g. Japanese, German, French, Hmong
nation-state: a state with a single nation (very few exist)
e.g. Japan, Iceland, Armenia, Lesotho
stateless nation: a nation who do not have their own independent state
e.g. Palestinians, Basque, Kurds, Hmong
multinational state: a state with two or more nations (includes most states)
e.g. Germany, France, Mexico, China, U.S., Russia
multi-state nation: a nation living across states
e.g. Koreans, Kurds, Basque, Russians
autonomous region: an area which governs itself, but is not an independent country
e.g. Greenland, The Azores, Hong Kong, Catalonia and Basque region (Spain)
semi-autonomous region: an area which can govern itself in certain areas, but does not have complete power to govern
e.g. Nunavut (Canada), Native American reservations (U.S.)
sovereignty: final authority over a territory and the right to defend territorial integrity against incursion
colonialism: rule by an autonomous power over a subordinate people and place that creates unequal cultural and
economic relations
imperialism: the drive toward creation and expansion of an empire and then once established, its perpetuation
e.g. Spain, Portugal, Great Britain, Japan, China, Russia
self-determination: the process by which a country determines its own statehood and forms its own allegiances and
government
independence movements: an area that believes that it should be its own country
 e.g. colonized people against their colonizers

political power political power: expressed geographically as control over people, land, and resources

government: political system with governing authority

authoritarian government: gov’t with a strong central power, no constitutional accountability, no individual freedoms
e.g. absolute monarchy (Saudi Arabia), dictatorship (North Korea), fascism (Germany)
democracy: government where power resides with the majority (Ancient Greece)
republic: government where power resides in a body of citizens entitled to vote and is exercised by elected representatives
responsible to them and governing according to law (U.S., Germany, France)

democratization: the process of moving from a non-democracy (authoritarian rule, colonial rule) to a democratic system
political power is neocolonialism: form of indirect control through the use of economic/political pressures to control or influence other
expressed countries, especially former colonies in which they continue to be exploited
geographically
shatterbelt: region endangered by local conflicts within the state or between countries in the area, as well as the involvement
of opposing great powers outside the region
e.g. Eastern Europe, Caucasus (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Russia)

choke points: geographical feature (sea OR land) that has significant strategic importance
e.g. Straits of Gibraltar, English Channel, Panama Canal, Suez Canal
territoriality is human territoriality: the connection of people, their culture, and their economic systems to the land creating a desire for
expressed as ownership over a defined space
ownership over a
defined space
boundaries establish boundary: line that determines the limit of state jurisdiction that is a vertical plane that cuts through the subsoil and
limits of sovereignty extends into the airspace above and often coincides with cultural, national or economic divisions
and are often
steps in which a boundary is established:
contested boundary definition: phase in which the boundary is negotiated and legally described
boundary delimitation: phase in which the boundary is drawn on the map
boundary demarcation: phase in which markers are placed on the ground (signs, walls, fences)
boundary administration: phase in which the boundary is maintained

Compiled by Allison Ferrucci


political boundaries
reflect balances of
power that have been
negotiated or
imposed
boundaries reflect
power
Compiled by Allison Ferrucci
boundary dispute: disagreement over the location of a boundary/movement across the boundary (migration/smuggling) and
can cause conflict
irredentism: when a state wants to annex territory whose population is ethnically similar
e.g. Russia annexation of Crimea
antecedent boundary: boundary in the natural landscape that existed before the cultural landscape emerged and stayed in
place as people moved in
i.e. rain forest between Malaysia and Indonesia
i.e. mountains between France & Spain
i.e. lakes between U.S. & Canada
consequent boundary: boundary that coincides with cultural groups (religion, language)
i.e. Europe
subsequent boundary: boundary that evolves as the cultural landscape of an area takes shape and changes as cultural
landscape changes
i.e. Northern Ireland and Ireland
i.e. Pakistan and India
i.e. Sudan and South Sudan
superimposed boundary: boundary that is drawn by powerful outsiders (e.g. colonizers) and ignores existing cultural
groups
i.e. Israel and Palestine
i.e. Yugoslavia
i.e. Africa
relict (relic) boundary: boundary that no longer exists as an international border, but remnants of its existence remain
i.e. North and South Vietnam
i.e. Berlin Wall
geometric boundary: boundary that follows a straight line or arc
i.e. U.S. and Canada, western U.S.
i.e. North and South Korea
i.e. colonial boundaries in Africa (Berlin Conference)
Berlin Conference: a meeting (1884-1885) between European nations to divide Africa among them for colonization with the
intent of preventing conflict over the process
 colonization in Africa: from the 17th to 19th centuries, large parts of Africa were divided
according to which pieces of land belonged to which European
colonizer and not by the existing patterns of different
tribal people/ethnicities living on the land
de-colonization in Africa: the superimposed boundaries of Africa remained in place
after independence, which has led to much of the current
conflict and lack of ability to establish effective leadership

demilitarized zone (DMZ): a buffer zone created by treaties/agreements between two or more military powers that falls on
either side of the actual boundary
e.g. DMZ between North Korea and South Korea

boundaries and international agreements: establishment of formal commitments between countries on world related issues that can
international either encourage interactions (trade) or discourage disputes (resources)
agreements can e.g. trade, environment, economic development, refugees, boundaries/borders
encourage or
international sanctions: policies or actions designed to induce states to change their behavior
discourage e.g. embargo (ban) on military, technological, and luxury goods with North Korea/Cuba
interaction e.g. freeze on Iranian assets
e.g. boycott of trade with South Africa over Apartheid: racial discrimination policy
establishment of Law of the Sea (UNCLOS): established rights and responsibilities of states concerning ownership/use of oceans/seas and
rights and their resources as developed by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea
responsibilities over
4 zones under Law of the Sea:
oceans/seas by the
United Nations Territorial Sea: zone of water adjacent to a state’s coast (12 miles) in which a state has sovereignty

Contiguous Zone: zone of water adjacent to Territorial Sea (24 miles) in which state can enforce customs,
immigration, and sanitation laws
Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ): zone of water adjacent to Contiguous Zone (200 miles) in which a state has the
Right to explore, exploit, conserve, and manage resources
international waters (High Seas): ocean beyond the EEZ, in which all states have equal access

median-line principle: method used to divide the waters between states that do not have 400 miles between them

internal boundaries voting district: subdivision for electing members to a legislative body

Compiled by Allison Ferrucci

 affect election results
at various scales
forms of governance
within states
challenges to state
sovereignty
factors that can lead
to devolution
Compiled by Allison Ferrucci
redistricting: when voting districts are redrawn due to changes in population
gerrymander: redistricting that is unfair and gives an advantage to a particular political party by concentrating
voting strength
unitary state: state that is governed as a single unit with a central top down
form of form of governance where local territories only have
power that is granted by the central government
e.g. U.K., France, Spain, China, Italy
federal state: state where there is a division in power between a central
government and local territories/provinces/States/oblasts
e.g. Canada, U.S., Russia
subnational political territorial unit: region that is given greater autonomy from the central government
autonomous region: an area which governs itself, but is not an independent country
e.g. Greenland, The Azores, Hong Kong, Catalonia and Basque region (Spain)
semi-autonomous region: an area which can govern itself in certain areas, but does not have complete power to govern
e.g. Nunavut (Canada), Native American reservations (U.S.)
devolution: the transfer of decision-making power from a central government to a lower level
CAUSES of devolution:
- ethnic separatism (religion, language, ethnicity)
- economic and social issues
- irredentism
- physical geography
- centrifugal forces
- terrorism
- ethnic cleansing
devolution occurs when: states fragment into subnational political territorial units
e.g. Spain: Basque/Catalonia
Belgium: Flanders/ Wallonia/Brussels
Canada: Nunavut
 Nigeria: Western Region/Eastern Region

devolution occurs when: states disintegrate

e.g. Ethiopia/Eritrea
Sudan/South Sudan
East Timor/Indonesia
U.S.S.R. break up
Yugoslavia: Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, Kosovo, Macedonia

Compiled by Allison Ferrucci

 supranationalism can
promote mutual
benefit, but can also
place limits on
member states
supranationalism is
Compiled by Allison Ferrucci
supra-nationalism: political and/or economic alliance of three or more states that is formed for mutual benefit to promote
shared goals and resolve disputes, but can limit the economic or political actions of member states creating a challenge to
state sovereignty
- United Nations (UN): union formed to promote international world peace and security after WWII, comprised of 6
principal organs that meet to decide on common issues and policies
- European Union (EU): economic alliance between European countries (1992) that established free trade and open
borders
and a common currency (Eurozone)
- North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA): economic alliance to gradually eliminate tariffs and trade barriers
between the U.S., Canada, Mexico
- African Union (AU): political, economic and social alliance aimed at promoting greater unity, cohesion, and efficiency of
African states and reducing the strains of their colonial roots
- NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization): military alliance formed after WWII between the U.S., Canada and
26 European states to ensure mutual assistance in times of aggression
- ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations): economic alliance aimed at improving development in Indonesia,
Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Cambodia, Myanmar, Vietnam, Laos, and Brunei
- Arctic Council: alliance aimed at promoting cooperation, coordination and interaction among Arctic states, Arctic
indigenous communities and other Arctic inhabitants on issues of sustainable development and Environmental
protection in the Arctic
members: U.S., Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Russia
military alliance: alliance between two or more states who agree on mutual protection and support in case of a crisis
 the result of global e.g. NATO formed to defend against threats by communist countries after WWII
efforts to address (Cold War: period of political and military tension between the USSR and Western states after WWII)
transnational and
trade agreement: treaty between two or more states who agree on trade, tariffs, taxes, and often includes investment
environmental
guarantees
challenges
e.g. NAFTA formed to eliminate tariffs on trade between Canada, Mexico, and the U.S.

economies of scale: cost advantages gained by an increased level of production

The Paris Agreement: establishment of protocols dealing with greenhouse gas emissions by the United Nations

communication political change: advances in communication technology have facilitated devolution, supranationalism, and democratization
technology can
facilitate political
change
centripetal forces forces within a state that promote unity and national stability (nationalism)
- effective government/institutions/infrastructure (public education, military, justice system, transportation/communication)
- language/religion/ethnicity
- healthy economy
- national holidays (July 4th, Bastille Day), flags, symbols

centripetal forces can lead to ethnonationalism, more equitable infrastructure development, and increased cultural cohesion

centrifugal forces forces within a state that destabilize or weaken it

- ineffective government/institutions/infrastructure (public education, military, justice system, transportation/communication)
- language/religion/ethnicity
- separatist movements
- struggling economy
- peripheral location
- religious extremism

centrifugal forces can lead to failed states, uneven development, stateless nations, and ethnic nationalist movements

Compiled by Allison Ferrucci