State System

Minahil Ilyas 20-03-2024

“The Nation State System is the pattern of People are separately
organized that interact with one another in varying ways and
various degrees.” ~ Palmer & Perkins
What is State?
An Introduction

• The nation-state is defined as a legal concept describing social groups who occupy a
defined territory and are organized under common political institutions and an
effective government
• The protection of national interest of the state is the prime objective of the nation
states. They resort to methods of peaceful persuasion and when these fail they resort to
coercive measures
• According to Declarative Theory of Statehood, “a nation-state is a type of state that
conjoins the political entity of a state to the cultural entity of a nation, from which it
aims to derive its political legitimacy to rule and potentially its state a sovereign state”
Previous Slide Continued..

• The concept of Nation-state can be compared and contrasted with that of a

multinational state, city state, empire, confederation, and other state formations which
it may overlap.
• In terms of international relations, a State-System refers to the structure of relations
between sovereign states, where each state governs its territorial independently and
interacts with other states based on principles of international law, diplomacy, and
sometimes alliances or treaties. Its the framework that shapes the behavior and
interactions of states within the global community.
Relating “Nation” and “State”
“One Nation, One State”

• The terms nation and state are quite different yet they are often used interchangeably.
The nation is a concept denoting a common ethnic and cultural identity shared by
single people, while the state is a political unit defined in term of territory, population,
organized government, exercising affective control over its territory and inhabitants.
The nation promotes relationship among its members, while state provides political
and legal foundation for the identity of its citizens.
Essential Elements of a “State”
The Declarative theory of Statehood holds that a geographical or political
region is a state if its has:

• A Permanent Population
• A Defined Territory
• Government
• Sovereignty/ Capacity to enter into relations with other states/ Legal Equity
Historical Development of Nation State System
• To understand the origin of state system, it is necessary to shed light on 17th century state system,
but under the control of Roman Catholic Church headed by pope and had no sovereign status.
• Treaty of Westphalia (1648): This was a series of peace treaties, was signed by the Central
European Countries after the Thirty Years’ of War. this was significant because this marked an end to
the role of religion in the political affairs.
• Congress of Vienna (1815): a series of international diplomatic meetings to discuss and agree upon a
possible layout of the Europe after Napoleonic Wars. Also known as Congress System or the Vienna
System
• Treaty of Versailles (1919): this negotiated the end of the war and international disarmament. The
terms of th treaty required that German pay financial reparations and the territory was sliced. Spain
and Ottoman empire were dismantled which led to th creation of many new states. The formation of
the League of Nation to guarantee the political independence and territorial integrity.
Significance of State System
The reasons for state system prominence is:

• First, non-state actors lack the basic characteristics of states sovereignty and
territoriality.

• Second, non-state actors are said to be behaviorally less important.

• Third, their analysis has not been developed as adequately as that of states.
Nonetheless, both state and non-state actors are significant for studying contemporary
international relations, although the former needs considerable attention owing to its
dominant role.
Modern State System in 20th Century:
• In the 20th century, the state system underwent significant changes due to various
geopolitical events, including two world wars, decolonization, the Cold War, and
globalization.
• The 20th-century state system was characterized by the rise and fall of superpowers,
the formation of international organizations like the United Nations, and shifts in the
balance of power among states.
• Additionally, the proliferation of nuclear weapons added a new dimension to state
interactions, influencing strategies of deterrence and diplomacy.
• Overall, the 20th-century state system reflected the complexities and challenges of a
rapidly changing global order.
Limitations of the State-System:
The rise of several non state actors and constraints due to
spread of Nuclear weapons and Inter- dependence among the
states, is responsible for weakening the nation state system.
Following factors affected Nation State System
1. Growing Inter-dependence
2. Globalization
3. Regional integration
4. The fear of nuclear proliferation
5. Growing role of public opinion
6. The role of MNCs
Conclusion

• This began from a village, to towns, to city states, only then to the nation-state, a long
journey for this institution to evolve and survive.
• A state contributed a lot to the global warfare, yet it has also contributed a lot towards
improving the quality of life of citizens.
• The treats it is facing are helping it adapt to new realities, leading ultimately to
something better-world government.
What do you think will or may replace today’s current nation-
state system???
Let us discuss in the light of case studies of strong and small
states.