2. The State

Politics takes place within and between states. Hegemony is set within a fictional nation- state; one of the approximately 200 nation-states which exist on Earth today. The concept of “the state” has existed for at least 5,000 years and there have been many forms – kingdoms, empires, republics, theocracies, etc. Since the mid-1800s the dominant type of state has been the nation-state, a political structure inhabited by a single nation (e.g. the state of “France” for the French nation, the state of “Indonesia” for the Indonesian nation, etc.). There are five features which a “state” must possess:

1. Monopoly of legitimate violence. The state – and only the state – can legally use violence against its citizens if they break the law and can use
violence to protect its citizens from other states and from each other. This use of violence by state organizations such as the police, military, prison systems, and courts, is considered legitimate by governments and by large sections of the population, because it is used by the government of the state.

2. Territory. A state claims to govern a particular part of Earth’s land and/ or sea and has the exclusive right to govern that area and defend it from
outsiders. Nearly all of Earth’s land surface is claimed by a state. Some areas are claimed by multiple states that seek to resolve their disputes with diplomacy or war. Only a tiny fraction of Earth’s land surface is not claimed by any state, mostly in Antarctica.

3. Population. The state claims exclusive governorship of a particular group (or “nation”) of people living within that territory. Today, the majority of Earth’s states contain several nations, and there are nations which do not have their own state (e.g., the Kurds). The state is considered legitimate because it protects its people from external and internal threats. If it cannot protect its people, it becomes illegitimate.

4. Sovereignty. There is no higher authority above the state. There are international organizations (e.g., the United Nations), but these are advisory
and do not have authority over their member-states. If there is no superior authority which the state must answer to, then that state is sovereign. In some cases, states can also voluntarily give up a certain degree of their sovereignty in order to obtain other political and economic benefits (e.g., the European Union).

5. Plurality. For a political organization to be considered a “state”, it must be recognized as such by other states. This recognition can be positive, such as exchanging ambassadors and forming alliances, or it can be negative, such as being seen as hostile and a military threat.