The Nature and Functioning of the Sovereign State System | University of Political Science скачать в хорошем качестве

The Nature and Functioning of the Sovereign State System | University of Political Science

Nature and Functioning of the Sovereign State System: States are the main actors of international relations and basic units of the international system. Traditionally, the emphasis. Was on the study of the politics and relations among these states. But after the innovation of behavioral approaches in the post-Second World War period emphasis was given to other non-state actors and their role in international relations Despite the emergence of non-state actors and performers, states still retained a leading and dominant, although not exclusive or uniform, role. Reasons for their prominent role are: First, non-state actors lack the basic characteristics of states-their sovereignty and territoriality. Second, they are 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 the study of contemporary international relations although the former needs considerable attention owing to its dominant role. Nature and Functioning of the Sovereign State System: The sovereign state system is also known as the Western state system, the nation-state system, and the nation-state system. The State system, in the words of Palmer and Perkins, is the pattern of political life in which people are separately organized into sovereign states that interact with one another in varying degrees and in varying ways. The nation-state system constitutes the very basis of international relations. The present state system is the continuation and development of the nation-state system that was born in Europe. The driving forces of contemporary international relations nationalism, sovereignty, and other chief characteristics like foreign policy, diplomacy, national power, the balance of power, collective security, war, international law, and international organization were the result of the nation-state system and became progressively pronounced with every advance in the progress of the system. Coulombs and Wolfe rightly observe Since the study of international relations focuses primarily on the relations between nation-states, it is necessary to analyze in some depth the social and ethnic composition of these relatively persistent units of political action. Even if we were to assume that nation-states are transitory phenomena gradually being replaced by non-state actors, contemporary reality is such that most individuals look to their nation-states for protection, identity, and direction. State and Nation: The terms state and nation have different meanings, yet they are often used interchangeably. A state comes into existence when a person is residing in a definite territory under its own sovereign government. According to this definition, a state is made of four elements a people, a territory, a government, and the attribute of sovereignty. Since the French Revolution nationalism became the spiritual and emotional force strengthening together all the elements of statehood in nation-states. Whenever the nation-state was a reality, nationalism supported and reinforced the state where it remained an aspiration, nationalism endangered the existing multinational unit. Thus, the relation between the state and the nation became a subject of careful analysis. The close historical links between the two terms are a century and a half years old and one cannot justify treating them as permanent. Their linguistic usage creates confusion. Explains Frankel, “As the noun, ‘state’ in English is rigid and precludes the formation of derivatives, we use substitutes formed from the more familiar word nation, Thus international law, and international relations are the accepted terms for the law and relations among states.” Though these two terms are generally used loosely and interchangeably to avoid the excessive use of one Word yet both connote different meanings. Read More: https://www.politicalscienceview.com/... ############################################################# #TheNatureAndFunctioningOfTheSovereignStateSystem #UniversityOfPoliticalScience ***************************************************************************************   / universityofpoliticalscienceview     / universityofpoliticalscience   $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$