In a nutshell . . .
The terms nation, state, country and nation-state
are used to refer to political, economic, social and cultural actors in
the international system. The modern nation-state refers to a single or
multiple nationalities joined together in a formal political union. The
nation-state determines an official language(s), a system of law, manages
a currency system, uses a bureaucracy to order elements of society, and
fosters loyalties to abstract entities like "Canada," "the United States,"
and so on.
What's the difference between these concepts?
A nation-state differs from a "state" or a
"nation" for a couple of important reasons:
-
A nation refers only to a socio-cultural entity,
a union of people sharing who can identify culturally and linguistically.
This concept does not necessarily consider formal political unions.
-
A state refers to a legal/political entity
that is comprised of the following: a) a permanent population; b) a defined
territory; c) a government ; and d) the capacity to enter into relations
with other states (sovereignty).
This distinction is an important one because
we, as political scientists, must be able to account for both political
and socio-cultural factors in a political entity. Using the term nation-state,
permits this investigation.
What does the growth in the number of nation-states mean?
The growth in the number of nation-states
means that nation-states are going to have to cope with new political,
economic, and social realities. The new entrants in the political system
bring with them new opportunities for the international political system,
but also bring new problems that the international order must be able to
approach and attempt to solve.
Originally
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