LECTURE 3

Nation State System

Nationalism

National Power

National Interest
Nation, State, and Country

There is a difference between the terms nation, state, and

country, even though the words are often used
interchangeably.

Country and State are synonymous terms that both apply

to self-governing political entities. A nation, however, is a
group of people who share the same culture but do not
have sovereignty.

When the “s” of state is lowercase, it constitutes a part of

a whole country, such as the different states of the United
States of America. When the “S” of State is uppercase it
How were countries defined in the past?
In the past, governments often used two opposing theories to define a
country—the Montevideo Convention treaty or the constitutive theory of
statehood.

In 1933, at the Montevideo Convention in Uruguay, a treaty was signed

on the Rights and Duties of States. The treaty defined a State using four
criteria—a permanent population, a defined territory, a government, and
a capacity to enter into relations with other States.

The convention also declared that a State did not have to be recognized
by other States, meaning a country could exist even if other countries did
not recognize it.

Conversely, the constitutive theory of statehood said that a country

existed if it was recognized as sovereign by other countries. Therefore, if
other countries recognized a country as independent, it was, even if the
What makes an independent State or a country today?
Has internationally recognized land and borders even if border disputes
exist;
Has permanent residents;
Has sovereignty so that no other country has power over its territory;
Has organized economic activity that regulates foreign and domestic trade
and issues money;
Has a transportation network for moving goods and people;
Has an education system;
Has recognition from other independent states
How many countries are there in the world?
Today, there are 195 independent countries or states recognized in the
world. Kosovo, which declared independence from Serbia in February 2008
is the newest country. Territories, such as Hong Kong, Bermuda, Puerto
Rico, and Greenland that belong to other countries are not considered
countries.
Disputes often arise when a territory claims to be a country, but is not
recognized by any other countries. Taiwan, for example, claims to be an
independent country, but China states that Taiwan is a part of China. Therefore,
other countries that don’t want to upset China also do not recognize Taiwan as
independent.

What are a nation and a nation-state?

A nation is a group of people who share the same culture, language, institutions,
religion, and history—usually a group of people larger than a tribe or
community. When a nation of people has an independent State of their own it is
often called a nation-state. The Kurds are a nation without a State, but France,
Germany, and Japan are examples of nation-states.
 THE NATION STATE SYSTEM: BASIC
FEATURES OF A NATION-STATE
Sovereignty

The concept of sovereignty is permanently associated with a nation-

state. It evolved in the 16thc in France, during the conflict between the
state and the church.

Many theorists have defined sovereignty. Hobbes focused on its

absolutist aspect, while Austin focused on legalistic or juristic notions of
sovereignty. The modern doctrine of popular sovereignty has
transferred the source of absolute power from the monarch to the
people.

The notion of sovereignty is important but it can become rigid unless

applied to the evolving pattern of inter-state relations.
Nationalism

Nationalism implies elevation of the nation above all other values.

States usually control the mass media to propagate their foreign
policy objectives and centralize their education systems to
popularize nationalistic values.

Nationalism may take precedence over moral and religious beliefs

(Soviet Union) or it may become fused with such beliefs (Israel).
Hans Morgenthau differentiated between nationalism of the 19th
century and more recent nationalistic universalism under which
one state can claim the right to impose its own standards upon the
actions of all other nations.
Nationalism is an ideology that creates and sustains a nation as a
concept of a common identity for groups of humans. According to the
theory of nationalism, the good being, the preservation of identity
features, the independence in all subjects, and the glory, of one's own
nation, are fundamental values.

Nationalists base nations on various notions of political legitimacy.

These can derive from the liberal argument that political legitimacy is
derived from the consent of a region's population, or combinations of
the two.

The modern vernacular use of nationalism refers to the political (and

military) exercise of ethnic and religious nationalism, as defined below.
Political scientists usually tend to research and focus on the more
extreme forms of nationalism usually related with national-socialism,
separatism etc.
National Power Introduction:
It is important part of the system of
the state. It is a instrument of state
through which the State is able to
implement the internal external
Policies.
It plays a great role because IP is a
essentially a struggle for power.
Power in IP is an necessary as money
in economic life. Hence each nation
has tries to achieve power. Whenever
a nation becomes weak, it loses its
independence.
 Definition
• Mr. Schwarzenberger:-
“The power is the capacity to impose
one’s
will on other by reliance on effective
sanctions of non-compliances”.
• Mr.william Ebenstien :-
“National power is more than the sum total of
population, raw materials & quantitati ve
factors and technical capacity”.
• Mr. Organski :-
Power is the ability to influence the behaviour of other in
accordance with ones own ends.
• Mr. F.H.Hartman :-
“Power is the strength or capacity that a sovereign
state”
• Mr. Karl Detush :-
“By national power means the ability to pervail (to gain
mastry) in conflict & to over come some obstacles”
 Meanin
g
• It means the totality of the state capacity to control the
policy of other states in according with its desire &
interest .
• It does not refer to the power of all the individual
residing in that state. It refers to the power of certain
individual who acts as agents of state.
• NP can be changed over period of time .
The change may take place
either due to decreases in the size of military
forces, reduction of raw material, the
production may fall down due to natural
calamities, or alliances may be broken.
• A change in the power of state can also take
• place
Ex:- U.K.due
wastoranked
increase
1stits capacity in all
in the world
fields.
world War.
before
1st
 Elements/ Component of
National Power
• There are various elements of national power.
• Mr. Morgenthau has divided the elements into two
categories .i.e permanent & temporary.
• Prof Palmer & Perkins divided the elements into
tangible (that can be touched) namely geography ,
raw material & natural resources.
• Intangible ideology , morale, & leadership.
 Elements of
A) Geography :-
Power
• Size
• Climate
• Location
• Topography
• Boundaries
B) Population:
 Size
 Quality & Quantity of Population.
 Population Control.
• Education & Research.
• Population and food supply.
• Trends in Population growth.
C) Natural Resources and Raw Material
 Vegetable Products.
 Animals Products.
 Minerals:- Metal, Non-metals & Fuels
 Food Stuff & Agricultural Products.
D) Technology:
 Military Technology.
 Atomic & space technology
 Industrial Technology
 Communication Technology.
E) Military:
 Force
 Quality & Quantity
F) Economics Organization.
G) Political Structure.
H) Diplomacy.
I) Leadership.
 A)Geography:

Size :-
• NP depends upon its size. The land area of state is in itself an
element, small & big . Size factor is related to population ,
military installation, transportation , routes.
• The nation must have a big size of land because a small nation can
not become powerful as well as it could not possess all the
essential requisites of NP.
• A large nation can accommodate a large population & can have
large supply of natural resources and thus can become more
powerful.
Climate:
 Location, rainfall & wind determine a climate.
 It plays a great role in making the power of a nation.
 Temperate climate is suitable for industrialization.
 The extremes of climate of heat & cold are unfavorable for
national power.
 The temperate regions are considers the best for health & energy of the
people which lead to the nation productivity.
 It determines the fertility of the soil. If the rainfall is uncertain &
periodically there are drought hence the development of nation is
automatically limited.
 If the country is depend for food on foreign aid, it certainly obstructs the
development of the nation & adoption of an independent foreign policy.
Topography :
 It includes mountains, oceans, rivers, forest & etc.
 It determines natural boundaries between nations & sets
limits to their natural expansion.
 The Himalaya have acted as a barrier for foreign attack on
India.
 The Atlantic & Pacific Oceans provides a natural protection to the
USA.
 The importance of Egypt in the world affairs in all due to the suez
Canal which links Europe & Asia, reducing the distance by
thousands of miles in so far as the sea route is concerned.
 Forests provides wood, rubber & many other products.
 The rivers provides ports, harbours & transport system
Location :
 It determines the power of State & security of the country.
 States located very close to big power are influenced by the
policy of the neighboring country.
 If the country is strategically important it becomes a center of
big power politics as Egypt.
 England & Japan being islands have been more secure.
 USA being separated from Europe & Asia could remain
in isolation for long time.
 The importance of Pakistan to the USA is also due to
her strategic location.
• Boundaries:
• There are two types of boundaries –natural
& artificial.
• Natural boundaries may be decided by
natural features such as mountains, rivers and
coastlines.
• Artificial boundaries decided by state authorities.
• Problems and disputes arises from boundaries- India
and Pakistan, India & China, North & South Korea.
B) Population:
Size
 It is an important and essential element of national power.
 It is still true that no country can remain or become a great
power which does not belong to the more powerful country of
on the earth.
 Without large population it is impossible to establish & keep
going the industrial plant necessary for the success conduct of
modern world war.
 Population can utilize the natural resources fully. Small nation
can not possess enough natural resources.
 There must be good quality among the Population.
must have greater technical capacity , ability to use more
They
effective control over the forces of nature & contribute to the
growth of national power.
• Large population is a source of strength for any state but
sometimes it may also prove to be a source of weakness.
• A nation is more capable of becoming a big power with a large
population.. It helps in increasing agricultural & manufacturing
production.
• A large labour force contributes for the economic growth.
• Population will be strength if the state has the means to utilize its
talent, energy & maintain a proper standard of living.
• It is source of strength in the developed countries & is a source of
weakness in the underdeveloped countries.
• Quality & Quantity of Population:
• Quality of the people of a nation is a more valuable factor in the
context of power.
• Dedicated, disciplined, hardworking, healthy, educated & skilled
manpower alone can be a source of national power.
• A State with higher rate of literacy is more powerful because the
people develop greater productive capacity.
• Quantity of population is a source of weakness.
• Modern industry & technology needs skilled manpower & not just
manpower.
 Education & Research:

• It is the duty of government to provide basic education to all.

There should not be any type of discrimination on the bases of cast
, religion, gender, race, language, place of birth, date of birth,
region and etc.
• Educated people is a source of power. State can use the skill,
capacity, energy of people to enrich the national power.
• Educated people are laying vital role in the developing of Great
power in contemporary world such as U.S.A, U.K, China, Japan,
France, Russia & Germany,
 Natural Resources & Raw Materials
• It is a gift of nature. It is a permanent factor of
national power.
• Raw materials like coal oil, iron & etc are vital for
national power.
• Oil is another basic natural resource for economic
power.
• Modern military force requires various raw material
like uranium which is required in the manufactures of
nuclear weapons. It contributes to the ability to win
the war in the contemporary world.
 Classification of natural resources
 Vegetables products
 Animals Products
 Minerals
 The distribution of the raw materials
 Food stuffs &agriculture
 Agriculture technology
 Animals Products
 Animals Products includes some foodstuffs such
as meat, poultry, fish, milk, eggs & etc.
 Animals products are important & often major source
of food for millions.
 Poultry is another major source of food .
Tandoor chicken is a well known dish in vegetarian
India.
 Eggs are very important product for many.
 Milk of cow and other milk products is
especially valuable food for children in any countries
 Distribution of Raw Materials
 Today no on country in world is self sufficing in
essential raw material & therefore all country re
heavily dependent on foreign source supply.
 Some countries are heavily dependent on foreign
markets for basic product and their entire economics
& political system are affected by the world price &
demand.
 Food stuffs &
 Food stuffsAgriculture
are a vital element in a national strength.
 It is prime imp & a country enjoying self sufficiency
in this direction has great advantage over other.
 The USA & Russia are fully self sufficient.
 Europe as a whole is dependent upon imports for
about half of its food.
 Most of the underdeveloped countries have to import
large amounts of food even to sustain their people at
low standard of living.
 Too much dependence on foreign food considerable
weakens the international status of a state.
 • Technology
 It means the application of science &
new concept of technology for
increasing the agriculture production in
country.
 It plays a vital role in agricultural field to
discover new instrument which uses in
land.
 Technolog
y
 It means the application of science & new method of production.
 Every nation requires new technology for increasing production
capacity.
 It affects not only power of state but also the entire source of
international relations.
 Top 10 countries in technology in the world are USA,
Japan , South Korea, India, Germany, England, Canada, China,
France & Sweden.
Definition of National Interest:

(1) National Interest means: “The general, long

term and continuing purpose which the state,
the nation, and the government all see
themselves as serving.” —Charles Lerche and
Abdul

(2) National Interest is: “What a nation feels to

be necessary to its security and well being …
National interest reflects the general and
continuing ends for which a nation acts.” —
(3) “National Interest is, that which states seek to protect or
achieve in relation to each other. It means desires on the part of
sovereign states.” —Vernon Von Dyke

(4) “The meaning of national interest is survival—the protection of

physical, political and cultural identity against encroachments by
other nation-states”. —Morgenthau

(5) National Interest means: “The values, desires and interests

which states seek to protect or achieve in relation to each other”
“desires on the part of sovereign states”. —V.V. Dyke

National Interests can as defined as the claims, objectives, goals,

demands and interests which a nation always tries to preserve,
protect, defend and secure in relations with other nations.
1. The Primary Interests:

These are those interests in respect of which no nation can

compromise. It includes the preservation of physical, political and
cultural identity against possible encroachments by other states. A
state has to defend these at all costs.

2. Secondary Interests:

These are less important than the primary interests. Secondary

Interests are quite vital for the existence of the state. This includes
the protection of the citizens abroad and ensuring of diplomatic
immunities for the diplomatic staff.
3. Permanent Interests:

These refer to the relatively constant long-term interests of the state.

These are subject to very slow changes. The US interest to preserve
its spheres of influence and to maintain freedom of navigation in all
the oceans is the examples of such interests.

4. Variable Interests:

Such interests are those interests of a nation which are considered

vital for national good in a given set of circumstances. In this sense
these can diverge from both primary and permanent interests. The
variable interests are largely determined by “the cross currents of
personalities, public opinion, sectional interests, partisan politics and
political and moral folkways.”
5. The General Interests:

General interests of a nation refer to those positive conditions which

apply to a large number of nations or in several specified fields such as
economic, trade, diplomatic relations etc. To maintain international
peace is a general interest of all the nations. Similar is the case of
disarmament and arms control.

6. Specific Interests:

These are the logical outgrowths of the general interests and these are
defined in terms of time and space. To secure the economic rights of the
Third World countries through the securing of a New International
Economic Order is a specific interest of India and other developing
countries.