Lesson

1
The Forms and Function of State
and Non State

The study explores how state and non-state institutions at the local level are ‘put to work’ to further
human security. It asks how, in contexts of state fragility, state and non-state institutions help people
cope with and reduce the multiple insecurities in their lives.

State - is a distinct set of institutions that has the authority to make rules which govern society.’ These
institutions, according to Miliband (1969), are the government, the administration (the civil service), the
judiciary and parliamentary assemblies.

Five main forms of State

1. Monarchy- is a form of government in which a single-family rule from generation to generation.

The power, or sovereignty, is personified in a single individual.

● Absolute monarchy exists when the monarch has no or few legal limitations in political matters.

● Constitutional monarchies- exist when the monarch retains a distinctive legal and ceremonial
role but exercises limited or no political power.

2. Democracy - as a form of government in which power belongs to the people.

● Direct democracy- all eligible citizens have direct participation in the decision making of the
government.

● Representative democracy - citizens exercise their power through elected representatives. The
elected representatives propose, develop, and create laws for the citizens to abide by.

3. Oligarchy is a form of government in which all power resides with a few people or in a dominant
class or group within the society. These groups of people may be distinguished by royalty, wealth,
education, or military control. Sometimes oligarchy governments are controlled by a few families who
pass their power from one generation to the next.

4. Authoritarianism - Monopoly of political power by an individual or small group that otherwise

allows people to go about their private lives as they wish.
5. Totalitarianism - is an authoritarian form of government in which the ruling party recognizes no
limitations whatsoever on its power, either in the public life or private rights of its citizen.

Major Function of the State

1. Foreign diplomacy - is the process through a sovereign state, interacting with other sovereign
states in the international arena, seeks to protect and further its own national interests by all means
other than waging a hot war.

2. Military Defense- a political society's national, or central, government is responsible for

preserving the security of that society from foreign aggression. The government maintains armed forces
and, when necessary, utilizes them to protect the territory and people it governs from attack and
invasion by foreign powers.

3. Domestic Order- a government must control the people it seeks to govern and protect. The
government must maintain internal peace--i.e., peace among individuals and groups within the society.

4. Administration of Justice- to enforce the "rule of law," a government must operate a system
of laws and courts that

(1) makes all adult citizens equal under the law and

(2) provides them equal opportunities to obtain just settlement of their civil disputes

(3) Receive fair treatment if suspected or accused of engaging in criminal activity.

5. Protection of Civil Liberties. A most important function of government in a constitutional

democratic society is to protect civil liberties--i.e., preserve and safeguard the basic rights and liberties
guaranteed by the Constitution to the individual members of the society.

6. Provision for and Regulation of the Conduct of Elections. In a constitutional democratic

society, a vitally important constitutional duty of government is to (1) provide for free and
meaningful elections

(2) regulate the conduct of these elections so as to ensure that they are carried on

fairly, honestly, and peacefully.

7. Provision for Public Goods and Services -public goods and services- are goods and
services provided by government. They are goods and services provided by public institutions, rather
than by private institutions.

8. Promotion of Economic Growth and Development- the central government of a modern society
seeks to facilitate and foster the growth and development of the nation's overall economy.

9. Social Welfare. Social-welfare policy--also known as "public assistance," "public aid," and "public
welfare"--consists of government programs to provide assistance to the poor.

The categories of persons eligible for public assistance generally include

(a) women with dependent children in families where the father is absent or unemployed and

(b) persons who, though aged, blind or disabled, are not covered by social-insurance programs and
are therefore ineligible for benefits under them.

Non-State – are establishment which are not owned and controlled by the government. Some non-state
institutions are for profit and others are non-profit and some are for personal investment and for
financial help.

Banks - is a financial institution that accepts deposits and recurring accounts from the people and
creates a demand deposit. Lending activities can be performed either directly or indirectly through
capital markets.

Corporation – is known as the body of people acting as a single.

- it is created by a group of shareholders who have ownership of the corporation.

- Corporation usually set up to create profit to and provide returns for its shareholders.

Cooperatives – are associations owned by people who voluntarily cooperate with each other under the
influence of their social, economic and cultural benefits.

- These cooperatives are typically owned by non- profit communities and businesses
alike.

- Cooperatives were created mainly for human to organized a mutual benefit for each
other.

Trade Unions - were organized by workers to share in a mutual benefit between members.
- It also called labor unions.

- Are organization composed of workers and laborers who band together to protect the
integrity of their trade, improve safety standard of their work and achieve higher salary.

- A trade union’s goal is to improve the working conditions of a country’s labor force.

Transnational Advocacy Group

Advocacy- is an idea of from an individual or group which aims to influence a political, economic and
social decision.

Transnational advocacy- includes actos working together internationally on ab issue.

Advocacy Groups – have spread information in support of a cross across boarders creating a
Transnational group there is a shot to change how the international policies are made.

Transnational Advocacy Group movement and main goal is to challenge how the international playing
field is being run.

Development Agencies

- Economic Development Agencies are described to be independent organizations that aim to

implement strategic ways of developing territories and societies.

- Usually molded by public and private institutions.

- Development Agencies are organizations that simply wish to improve the current standpoint of
a certain society.

Authority and Legitimacy

Authority -refers to accepted power—that is, power that people agree to follow. People listen to
authority figures because they feel that these individuals are worthy of respect. Generally speaking,
people perceive the objectives and demands of an authority figure as reasonable and beneficial, or true.

Types of Authority
• Traditional authority is accepted because that has traditionally been the case; its legitimacy
exists because it has been accepted for a long time.

• Charismatic authority - are drawn to the leader’s personal qualities. The appeal of a charismatic
leader can be extraordinary, and can inspire followers to make unusual sacrifices or to persevere in the
midst of great hardship and persecution.

• Legal Rational Authority - the power is vested in a particular rationale, system, or ideology and
not necessarily in the person who implements the specifics of that doctrine.

Legitimacy - usually is understood as the popular acceptance and recognition by the public of the
authority of a governing régime, whereby authority has political power through consent and mutual
understandings, not coercion.

Types of Legitimacy

• Traditional legitimacy derives from societal custom and habit that emphasize the history of the
authority of tradition.

• Charismatic legitimacy derives from the ideas and personal charisma of the leader, a person
whose authoritative persona charms and psychologically dominates the people of the society to
agreement with the government's régime and rule.

• Rational-legal legitimacy derives from a system of institutional procedure, wherein government

institutions establish and enforce law and order in the public interest.