5

STATE, GOVERNMENT SOCIETY ANn

ASSOCIATION
"The state is a politically organised people of a definite territory
-Bluntsch
Introduction
State is perhaps one of the most confused terms in the
Political Science. Various wWriters have used it stud
according to
convenience, e-g, for Aristotle it was an agency for giving 'go0od the
for Machiavelli a 'noblest product of human nature' and for life
Man:
agency which suppressed the poor and so on. In fact the term 'State'
been used in such a way that evey bas
of confusion. But as Gettell says, "Beneath prominent
very thinkers vicing
are
these differences in the
manifestations of political life may be observed a political concree
purpose; and by disregarding non-essential elements and identity of
arise because of the demand of the time, modifications tha
place and circumstances,
discover the very essence of the state and the we ma
it from other organisations." characteristics that distinguish
Definitions of State
The term "State" has been defined
who tired their best to let us know by a number of political thinkers
A few
what they meant by the term "State"
popular definitions are given below
Aristotle defined the state as "a union
of families and
for its end a perfect and
self-sufficing life by which we meanvillages having
and honourable life." a happy
Cicero defined the state as "a
numerous
common sense of
right and a mutual participation society
in
united by a
Bodin defined the state advantages.
as "an association of families
common
possessions, governed by supreme power and and their
The English writer Holland by reason."
defines the "State"
assemblage of "a
generally occupying a certain numerou
as
human
beings
amongst whom the
will of the terrilon
any of their number who majority
it."
or class made
to prevail agains
oppose
 State. Govemment, Society and Association
123
Burges delines the state as a
particular portion of mankind viewed
as an
organiscd unit."
According to Bluntschl1, "The state is
politically organised people
of a definite territory
Phillmore goes lo the
extent ol saying that a state for all purposes
af international lawS IS"a
people prominently occupying a fixed territory,
halnd together by common
laws, habits and customs into one body
nolitic, exercising through the medium of an organised government,
independent sovereignty and control over all persons and things within
s oundaries, capable or making war and peace and of cntering into
all international relaluons with the communities of the globe."
According to Woodrow Wilson, "The state is people organised for
law within a definite territory."
Professor Laski defined State as "a territorial society devided into
government and subjects claiming within its allotted physical area, a
supremacy over institutions."
all other
Hall viewing the State primarily as a concept of international law
savs, "the marks of an independent state are that the community
constituting it, is permanently established for a political end, that it
possesses a defined territory and that it is independent of external
control.
The state exists", says Oppenheim, "when a people is settled in a
country under its own sovereign government."
According to Dr Game, "State as a concept of political science
and public law, is a community of persons more or less numerous,
of territory, independent or
permanently occupying a delinite portion
an organised Government
nearly so, of external control and possessing
to which the great of inhabitants render habitual obedience."
body
R. M. Maclver believes that the state is "an association which acting
endowed to this end with
through law as promulgated by government demarcated
within a community territorially
Coercive power maintains
the universal external conditions of
social order."
whole community of its members
G.D.H. Cole says that the state "is
regarded as organised social unit." the
"the state arose as a result of
According to Marist opinion, classes for the purpose of curbing
aivision of society into antagonistic
interest of the exploiting majority.
7ke State
in the
the exploited majority class whuch uses it for the purpose
the political organisation of the nuling
s enemies. I is an organisation for
the resistance of its class
0 Suppressing classes. To achieve
over the other
the nule of one class
ne maintenance of instruments of power as an any, the courts,
is the state possesses such
a police force, etc."
Gilchrist: The State
is a concept of Political
Professor
According to where a number of people living
exists
cence and a moral reality which which in intemal
govemment
daefinite termitory are unified under a
 Polcal Theun

the organ Jor cxpre'ssng

neI/ soverigrty and mn Cxlenal mun
matters is "

other (oemmments.
Is ndependent of
Moderm Conception o the Stute, Vews o Gabrne!

Robet Dahl Political System

Gabricl Almond usc the tcm "I Amond
to him Political Systcm is
of the State. According
intcractions to be ound in all ndepcndent socicties wh
functions of integraton and adaplation (both intcrnallu
other socictics) by mcans of thc cmploymcnt, or thrcal of e
of morc or less legitimate physical compulsion" "The Political S
he explains, "is the legitimale, ordcr maintaining or transformi
mployme
in the socicty." sltm
Pennock and Smith define the Stale as a pohtlical system como
all the pcople in defincd terTilory and possessing an orea
(government) with the power and authority to cnforce its will u
members, by resort, il nccessary, to physical sanctions, and not
in the like manner to the power and authority of another poluy.R
A. Dahl says, "The political system made up of the residenis l
territorial arca is a State."
Elements of the State
Elements of State are given below:
(1) Population. State is a part of Society which is itsclf a groupino
of the people. Citizens compose the stale. The Statle is to look afler th
welfare. In a state, thus. population of some kind is necessary. For State
is the emblem of an organized rule. But the rulers must have people to
rule over. But the population should not conlinc itself to the members
of one single family. For a State there must be serics of families. No
hard and fast rule can be put on the number of men in a State.
Differences in the population, other things remaining the same, do not
make any difference in the nature of its statehood. But the conccpt of
the size cf a State and its population has varicd from lime to time.
Plato and Aristotle put definite limits over the population of the
State. Their ideal was the small Greek city state. Plato's ideal State was
to have a citizen population of 5040. Aristotle held that the number
should neither be too small or too large, but large enough to be
self-sufficing and small enough to be well governed. Rousseau was so
much infatuated with the idea of liberty that he argucd that the larger
the population of the Statc the less the
liberty of the peoplc.
The modern tendency is in favour of Stales with
huge gave Slatc
The man power of a State must swell. Hitler and Mussoilini population.
bounties to the
couples producing children above a given minimu
Russia has also
encouraged the growth of population. But the size of tne
population is no criterion of the State. Increase or loss in the
popua
makes no difference. No limit either theoretical or
practical, can be
down in this respect. Still the lai
population must be sufficient to prov
 Sl, (OVeriie'1l, SOCictv
and AssoCiation 125
body and a mber of persons lo be governed, and off
support tate organization.
Sta
to

N
icient
there is hard and fast rule regarding the population of
ln lact
thee population which matters but what matte
il is not S Dut matters,
use,
ding to Gettell "N
ACCOrding "No definite linit can be fired
character.
af rersons necessary to Jomi a state. The population should
ber ofpersons
enth nunierous to maintain a state organizatiom and to distinguish
private affairs benveen those who govem and those who are
shouia not be greater than the territorial area and resources
andt suppor.
e :

are
capable of
Stale
Territory
Territory is the second physical clement of the State.
(2)
become a State unless they are in occupation ofa
not
do
ole
ritory. Nomads and Gypsies, who
Nomac wander from one placeto
A p

eoprritory.
e o p l e

clement
indispensable
delinite terril

nstitute a state. Territory is an

because living together on the same land is

Another doo n o t

making up
of a
state, of unity and fellow-feeling
in
in
the
factor in producing that sense
p o w erful
cannot exist.
rful
the State
which
HTthout

so in territory
limit can be laid down. Small states
opulation, and the United States of
As in slates.Switzerland
with large far consideration of statehood are
ist along the same, so as
the world
America
are
some 76 organized States all
There a r e at present United States
rned.
has an area of 36 sq. miles, whereas the
San Marino 31,38,395 square
miles.
not
important bearing
covers

of America State's territory has

an
to
extent of a
and influence, but
But the self-defence, its power and
of its organization
on the question ol governmcntal
its
only upon
the torm
methods of direct democracy.
some
extent
more akin to the and the
States are
and patriotism
activities. Small there is more unity
social happiness.
smaller state, in promoting
Again, in a are
concentrated
extended the
more
the people land is
energies of Rousseau "the the
more
social
State was comparatively
According to was that a small limits
conclusion desirable to set
it is weakened." This
therefore, thought it
stronger
than a large one. He,
State. They
relatively less
secure.

t0 a well-governed time are

States, on the other hand,

States. Hitler
in no
The small
bigger and aggressive Holland and
Belgium.
to
lall an easy prey Czechoslavakia, Denmark, States.
Treitxohke

to bigger State to be
trampled Poland, unmistakably
favourable
sin for the
is it is a
Recent opinion and therefore, self-sufficient
or even near
held that State is power,
are not States are
sald

Economically
small States number of small
Smal. world a large
it. In this competing
about
place. is that it
o endanger
international
extent of territory
there is
no
the
regard to If
can be said in the
population. all
All
that sustain State will
possess

be large enough to the it

ought to and territory, progress.
However,

portionbetween
population
hinderance
to its
which are a
those disabilities,
 Polt al Theor
thal grealncss ol
a country is no
must not be
Therc
overlooked

arc many
other c l e m e n t s connected neasurcdwh
with terri
ilsextent. The physical features of the land, ils
pco clmalu
account for her greatncss. Thegenius of the
nalure of the sO1l,
resources,
natural on the devclopment of the social
exercise a profound inlluence and
institutions of a country.
political area ol a state considered no Crit
iIS
Like population, lera
statc. What is considered is that cach
standard for the strength of a slale
terrilory
definite in which il can act. According to
have a
must
iS a necessary basis for all
the poSseSsion of temitory
any rate,
teritorial sovereignty and jurisdiction i e
"An
states and the idea of
states."
Siml
embedded in present political
nor territory alone can fo
(3) Government. Neither population
of State il is essential that there must be an
a State. For the formalion
them in a proper mann
agency to give
laws to the masses and organise
of State will. Gettell has rightly said
In fact, Government is an expression
Govemiment may be defined as th
that "In its broader sense, then the
sum 1otal of those that exercise or may exercIse sovereign power of the

State."
It may, however, be already understood that the form od
Government is no consideration for making a State. The government can
or presidential, it can be
be unitary or federal, it may be parliamentary
but what matters is that there
headed by a dictator or a despotic ruler
administer the
should be an organised agency called "Government to
and responsible lor giving them security
and Iiberty of both life
people
and property.
Sovereignty is the only factor which distinguishes
(4) Sovereignty.associations. Without sovereignty, there can be no
a other
state from
term. From sovercignty it is understood
state in technical sense of the
Internal sovereignty means
both internal as well as external sovereignty.
of the state should
that bulk of the population residing in the territory
and support to the authority. They
give their unqualified obedienceeven to sacrifice their lives for the sake
should be most ready and willing
of the state. They should see that the state is respected and honoured.
state should be
From external sovereignty it is understood that the
treated at par with other states and should not be assigned any inferior
enact5
position. It is also understood that the state should be free to
Own laws as well as foreign policy withuut any external pressure. Allare
into consideration ther
required to obey state commands without taking
Own convenience.
Itis such sovereignty alone which is an essential ingredient an
Without internal and extern
characteristic in the formation of the State. however disc
SOvereignty it is no better than an association. We shall, What at t
separately that absolute sovereignty is impossible these days.
absolute sovereign ri
Same time is meant is that State should enjoy or
irfespective of the consideration whether it exercises those rights