(Picture: MIDEAST)

This lesson will examine the origin and specific features of a nation state including population, territory, sovereignty, and government forms.

A STATE is defined as a community that is politically organized and has the following specific features:

• territory,
• population,
• sovereignty,
• government.

Usually, a "state" means the same as nation.

A nation consists of a large group of people sharing many common traits, including:

• language,
• customs,
• values,
• sometimes religion or race.

When a territory of a state coincides with the people of a nation, it is considered a nation-state.

For our purposes, when we use the word "nation," we mean "nation-state."

One feature that is essential to a nation-state is POPULATION.

Of course, a nation must have people. The number of people that make up a nation can be large or small. The people may be of similar race, religion, and language, or they may be very different. The United States is an example of a nation with a diverse population.

Another requirement for a nation-state is TERRITORY.

A nation must have land with boundaries that its people and governments of other nations recognize. Sometimes conflicts between nations arise over boundary disputes.

(PICTURE: MAP)

A third necessary feature of a nation is SOVEREIGNTY.

Every nation-state must have supreme authority within its borders. It must be independent from interference from other nations and be able to make decisions about domestic and foreign policy.

Who holds the power within a nation? If the people hold the power, the nation is a DEMOCRACY.

In a democracy, the people hold the sovereignty and determine public policy through direct voting or by elected representatives.

(PICTURE: BELL)

In a direct democracy, the people can vote directly to pass laws or policies. An example of a direct democracy would be a town meeting where everyone would have a vote.

In a representative form of government, the citizens elect people to represent their interests. (PICTURE: BALBOX)

If sovereignty is held by one person or a small group of people, it is called a DICTATORSHIP.

A dictatorship means that the majority of citizens in a nation have very little or no voice in the manner in which they are governed.

(PICTURE: HITLER)

Adolph Hitler was a dictator who was the leader of Nazi Germany from 1933-1945.

The final necessary element of a nation is GOVERNMENT.

So that the policies and laws of a nation can be enacted and enforced, a nation state must have a government to oversee the interests of the people. Most nations have several levels of government:

Let us look at an example of the levels of government in the United States.

The federal or national government has three branches: executive (President), legislative (Congress - House of Representatives and Senate), and judicial (Supreme Court), and is located in Washington D.C.

The regional government of the state of Nebraska is located in Lincoln, Nebraska. This regional government consists of an executive (Governor), legislative (Unicameral - one house), and judicial (Supreme Court).

The local government for Buffalo County is located in Kearney, Nebraska. The county is divided into seven districts. The people elect representatives to the Buffalo County Board of Commissioners.

The local government of the City of Miller, Nebraska, located in Buffalo County, is divided into 5 city council districts. The people of Miller elect representatives to the city council. The city council in turn elects the mayor.

A United States citizen living in Miller, Nebraska elects representatives on several levels of government. The forms of government may be different at the regional and local levels. For instance, in some cities the people may elect the mayor and not the city council.

The chart on the next screen illustrates all of the representatives that the people of

Miller, Nebraska elect to different levels of government.

(PICTURE: REPDEM2)

Let us take a more in-depth look at this chart.

The local governments in Buffalo County, Nebraska and Miller, Nebraska are represented by the blue arrows.

The regional or state government, located in

Lincoln, Nebraska, is represented by the gold arrows.

The federal government, or national government, located in Washington, D.C. is represented by the red arrows.

Where did the idea of the nation-state originate? No one knows for certain, but several theories exist.

One theory proposes that the beginning of the state occurred when one person or group gained control of the territory and people of an area with force. This is known as the FORCE THEORY.

Once an area was under forceful control, the people were compelled to accept the rule of the individual or group with the power.

The features of population, territory, sovereignty, and government all existed, so this area met the requirements of a nation-state.

Another theory concerning the origin of a nation state is the EVOLUTIONARY THEORY.

In this theory, the nation-state had its beginnings with the family. One family member acted as leader and all other members submitted to his or her decisions.

Later, groups of family members led by one head of the family became known as TRIBES.

As a tribe or clan settled down to live in one place, instead of following the food it hunted, a nation-state was established. The land the tribe farmed defined the nation-state.

Again, the four basic requirements of nation-state were met: population, territory, sovereignty, and government.

A third theory of the birth of the nation-state is the DIVINE RIGHT THEORY.

In Europe and other places during the 15th through the 18th centuries, kings claimed sovereignty through "divine right." They believed that God had given them the right to rule the territory they possessed and anyone who objected was both a traitor and a sinner.

People who opposed the "divine right" theory developed another theory of the origin of the nation-state, the

SOCIAL CONTRACT THEORY.

The philosophies of writers such as John Locke, Thomas Hobbes, and Jean Jacques Rousseau in the 17th and 18th centuries helped to shape the idea of a democratic nation-state. They believed that people, in order to protect themselves and their society, agree to create a state and give it just enough power to serve the people.

It was this kind of philosophy that helped shape the AMERICAN GOVERNMENT.

Under the Social Contract Theory, when the government exceeds the power given to it by the people, the people have the right to REPLACE THE GOVERNMENT.

(PICTURE: TEST2) The causes and purpose of the American Revolution can be found in the Social Contract Theory. The basic ideas of the Social Contract Theory were discussed in 1776 in the writings of Thomas Paine and

Thomas Jefferson.

On January 10, 1776, a pamphlet titled Common Sense

(PICTURE: c_sense)

Approximately six months after Paine's pamphlet was published, the Declaration of Independence was adopted on July 4, 1776. Thomas Jefferson wrote in the Declaration of Independence a list of grievances that outlined how the British monarch, King George III, had abused his power.

Jefferson stated that "governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed" (meaning the people).

Jefferson continued with a statement about what should happen if the government abused the rights of the people.

"That whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government..."

Take another look at the Preamble to the Constitution. This is a statement about how a government should be organized under the Social Contract Theory.

(PICTURE: WTP)

Political science is the study of the origin, organization, principles, and manner of operation of government.

The purpose of the last two lessons was to provide you with a background in political science. You are now ready to apply your political science skills and knowledge to the study of various government models.