Sovereignity
Definition
Defined as a state's ability to rule itself.
Is an essential principle in global politics
Internal Sovereignty
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States governing themselves independently.
States have full responsibility for what happens on their borders
They can decide and enforce their own laws, collect taxes, and spend
the money raised in priorities
External Sovereignty
How states interact externally with other states and internal organization
States respect each other borders and do not intervene or interfere in what goes on within the borders of those states.
Legitimacy
A state's sovereignty is dependent on other states recognizing the state as a state.
Aspects
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A permanent population
A defined territory and borders
effective government
Capacity and legitimacy to enter into relations with other states.
Organization
Democracy
Most Common
The states are elected by a free and fair process
Power is delegated into regions
Very powerful central goverment
Federal States
Central power over some policy
Individual states have the power to decide and enforce their own
Authoritarian States
Unitary States
Central goverment has authority over all its territory
Decisions and laws are decided by a national legisture
There is no democracy
The goverment is not elected and governs with authority that can not be challenged
Leaders remain in power as long as they want
Fragile States
The states internal sovereignty and power is weak
Monarchy
Royal Family rules the state
Is unelected, it gained its authority through generations of rule by family
Theocracy
Ruled by religion
When power is held by religious groups