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State and Its Elements

The document defines the key elements of a state. It discusses definitions of the state provided by various scholars and outlines the generally accepted elements as: population, territory, government, and sovereignty. Population and territory are the basic physical requirements - a state needs inhabitants and land. Government provides the organization and authority to administer the population and territory. Sovereignty establishes the state as an independent entity with supreme legal authority over its domains and people. Recognition from other states, while sometimes considered an element, is best viewed as part of sovereignty.

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Aasish Majhi
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2K views

State and Its Elements

The document defines the key elements of a state. It discusses definitions of the state provided by various scholars and outlines the generally accepted elements as: population, territory, government, and sovereignty. Population and territory are the basic physical requirements - a state needs inhabitants and land. Government provides the organization and authority to administer the population and territory. Sovereignty establishes the state as an independent entity with supreme legal authority over its domains and people. Recognition from other states, while sometimes considered an element, is best viewed as part of sovereignty.

Uploaded by

Aasish Majhi
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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State and It's Elements:

The term 'State' has been originated from the Latin word 'status' which means social reputation of
individual. Later, it incorporates the status of the society as a whole that is why state is a larger form
of society. The state can be interpreted as organisation that is why the word 'State' cannot be
materialised in political science to what the present form of state is.

Aristotle defined state as a “union of families and villages having for its end a perfect and self –
sufficing life by which it meant a happy and honourable life."

As per Holland , the state is “a numerous assemblage of human beings generally occupying a certain
territory amongst whom the will of the majority or class is made to prevail against any of their number
who oppose it.”

Gettel defines state as a community of persons permanently occupying a definite territory legally,
independent of external control and possessing an organised government which creates and administers
law over persons and groups within it's jurisdiction.

Another definition by H.J. Loski 'State is a territorial society divided into government and subjects
claiming within it's allotted physical area supreme over all other institutions. 

The elements of state are; 

1. Population: 

To constitute a state, population i.e. human beings or people is needed. Without inhabitant, the state
cannot be imagined. In this regard, a question maybe raised, how much population is needed to
conatitute a state? Are there any limitation? These questions are difficult to answer. We have China on
one hand and the Vatican City on the other. The Greeks were of a view that the population should
neither be to big nor too small. Plato suggested 5,040 citizens for an ideal state. Another question is,
what type of people are needed? Homogenous or heterogenous. 

2. Territory:

There can be no state without territory. A nomadic tribe doesn't form a state even though they belong
to a separate group. Before the formation of Israel, Jews were united but didn't belonged to a
statehood. After the formation of Israel, they got the state. People need territory to organise
themselves politically and socially. More than one state cannot exist in one territory but there exists
several organisations within it. Here, "Territory" doesn't include land only but also water and airspace.
Like population, how much territory is needed to constitute a state? We have huge states like Russia,
USA, Canada and tiny states like Morocco, Luxembourg, Maldives etc. According to the national law, all
independent sovereign states are of equal status. Only Vatican City belongs under Italy and Palestine is
a state without territory, which are exceptions.

3. Government: 

Government is the working agency of the state. It is a dominant authority that safeguards the interests
of the population as well as protects the frontier of the territory. Government and state are
inseparable. However, the government must have control over the nation. Laws and orders are to be
maintained, carrying out several plans and policies. The government includes: 

i. Legislation
ii. Executive
iii. Judiciary

4. Sovereignty: 

Sovereignty is the element which makes state a superior association. The word ‘sovereignty” means
supreme and final legal authority above and beyond which no legal power exists.The concept of
“sovereignty” was developed in conjunction with the rise of the modern state. The term Sovereignty is
derived from the Latin word superanus which means supreme. The father of modern theory of
sovereignty was Jean Bodin (1530 – 1597) a French political thinker. It has two aspects:

i. Internal sovereignty
ii External sovereignty

Internal sovereignty means that the State is supreme over all its citizens, and associations.

External sovereignty means that the state is independent and free from foreign or outside control. 

There are some opinions which prescribe that the another element of state is called "recognition"
which means acceptance of the membership by the international community but it can be included in
the sovereignty. 

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