Definition and features of state.
Define the state. What are the characteristics / features of the state?
The definition and the elements of the state.
Definition of State: -
Laski said "The state is a territorial society that is divided into governments and subjects claiming within its politically allotted physical area , a supremacy over other institutions .
Gettell said , "The state is such an organisation who have a fixed territory, the mass is free from all kinds of external control and this mass is under a government. This government enacts and enforces laws for all individuals and organizations under state control.
Burgess says the politically organized population in a particular territory is called a state.
Garner says , the state is a community of persons more or less numerous permanently occupying a definite portion of territory , independent , or nearly so , of external control , and possessing an organized government to which the great body of inhabitants render habitual obedience.
Of the above definitions, the one given by Garner is considered the most acceptable. Marxists, however, hold different views on the state. According to Marxists, the state is a tool of class exploitation and an instrument of oppression. Through the organization called the state, one class of people tries to dominate another class.
After all, the state is an organization that has a definite population and these communities live in a specific territory. This society entrusts all its powers to a government and this society is completely or almost free from external control.
Features / elements of State :-
The elements of the state can be basically divided into two parts - essential features or elements; And not necessarily - features or elements. The essential features or elements of the state are - specific population, specific territory, government and sovereignty. Also not essential - features or elements that are - stability, recognition of other states and nationalism.
1. Specific population: - Specific population is an essential feature of the state. In ancient Europe the existence of small populous states can be seen. Plato, Aristotle and others considered the sparsely populated state to be the ideal. But at present the existence of a large populous state can be seen. Large populations are present in countries like India, China, USA.
The population can be basically divided into three groups -
(A) Citizens - Every member of the state who has legal recognition is a citizen.
(B) Foreigners - Members of another state who reside within one state are foreigners.
(C) Tenants - Citizens living in the colonies of an imperialist power are the subjects of that imperialist power.
2. Specific Territory: - Specific Territory is a specific geographical area surrounded by geographical boundaries. All types of landforms within the state - mountains , rivers , airways, seashores, forests - etc. - include all types of landforms. However, there are some special international laws for coastal and space. Up to 100-110 kms above the territory of the state under state control. On the other hand, no agreement has been reached on state boundaries along the coast. However, the Third Convention on the Law of the Sea adopted by the UNO recognized the area up to 12 miles as part of state territory.
There is disagreement among political scientists about the size of the state territory. For example, Rousseau considered a small state to be ideal. However Treitschke said the small state as a "symbol of sin."
When the territory of a state is large, its resources can be used properly by a large population. When the state territory is small, the development of nationalism, democracy, etc. takes place easily.
3. Government: - The main institution for running the state is the government. The state and state life cannot be imagined without government. The state became embodied through the government. It is through the government that state will, ideals, policies, programs are adopted and implemented.
The government acts as a bridge between the individual and the state. Public welfare policies, social interests, minimum human demands - etc. are implemented. The government conducts international relations in the interest of the state, including all internal policies of the state.
The existence of different types of government in today's world is obvious. Namely - democratic, dictatorial, presidential government, cabinet-run government, unitary and federal government - etc. Needless to say, the scope of work of every government in the present world has increased; The main reasons for this are globalization, the formulation of welfare policies, increasing the tendency to participate in the international arena - etc.
4. Sovereignty: - Sovereignty is one of the basic and essential elements of state formation. Sovereign power is the ultimate power by which the state can independently make decisions, formulate and implement policies in internal and external affairs. The existence of the state is meaningless without sovereign power. Sovereignty is the ultimate power of the state in all institutions and individuals within the state and in international decision making.
State sovereignty can be divided into two parts - internal and external. By internal sovereignty, the state demands ultimate authority over all individuals and organizations within it, and implements policy-making. External sovereignty is the power of the state by which the state can conduct foreign policy independently and participate in international activities by its own will and interest.
5. Nationalism: - Many political scientists are inclined to consider nationalism as one of the characteristics of the state. According to them, national unity cannot be properly established if the citizens of the state are not bound by nationalism. But there is also a lot of criticism against this idea. In the age of globalization, nationalism has become a latent thought without any special reason. Moreover, excessive nationalism will indulge in separatism; The state will be divided into smaller parts and the possibility of conflict in the international arena will increase.
6. Sustainability: - Some political scientists identify stability as one of the characteristics of the state. But this idea has not gained universal recognition. Marxists believe that the state originated as an instrument of exploitation and that the notion of state will disappear only when a dictatorship of the proletariat without class and exploitation is established.
7. International Recognition: - Many people think that recognition of other states is also an essential element of the state. But this idea is not correct. For, the existence of the state does not depend on the recognition of other states. Recognition by other states is largely politically motivated. For political reasons, the People's Republic of China, Soviet Russia, etc., have not long been recognized by Western capitalist states.
In conclusion, there are four basic elements of the state - specific population, specific territory, government and sovereignty. Other elements contribute to the formation of the state, but are not essential.
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