The state: historical and ongoing perspectives

Question 1

What is a political system?

Answer 1

large arena within which institutions compete or co-operate for influence (garner et al)

Question 2

What is the peace of westphalia?

Answer 2

• peace treaty that put an end to the war of thirty years in 1648
• collection of treaties

Question 3

What are the three principles of the peace of westphalia?

Answer 3

1. soverain states have the right to self-determination
2. legal equality between states
3. non-intervention

Question 4

what is the concept of legal equality between states?

Answer 4

• states are equal regardless of their circumstance
• as soon as a state is recognised by other states as such it is equal
• doesn’t mean all states are equally strong but they have legally the same status

Question 5

What is the concept of non intervention?

Answer 5

no institutions, no clergy can influence state
nothing beyond the borders shall interfere in state affairs
independence from one another

Question 6

What are external functions of the state?

Answer 6

• state is the maina actor of international relations
• responsible for protecting itself from external threat

Question 7

What are the 3 internal functions of the state according to GILL (2003)?

Answer 7

1. Partisan
2. Guardian
3. tool

Question 8

Explain the partisan function of the state

Answer 8

• one must think about the state as an institution which pursues its own interests (continuity of its existance, power and sov)

Question 9

Explaint he guardian function of the state

Answer 9

• states work in interest of own population w/ focus on unity
• role varies across diffrent states depending on population expectations

Question 10

Explain the Function of tool of the state

Answer 10

• states can be seen as instruments used by one or more gourps to achieve their own interests (eg. lobbying)

Question 11

Define colonialism

Answer 11

practice of domination whihc involves the political economic and cultural subjugation of one people to another

Question 12

Define settler colonialism

Answer 12

Bringing their own bureaucracies, systems and institutions

Question 13

Define imperialism

Answer 13

ways in which one country exercices power over another directly or indirectly
colonialism always implies imperialism but imperialism doesn’t always imply colonialism

Question 14

What was the primary purpose of colonisation?

Answer 14

exploitation of human and natural resources

Question 15

What was the secondary purpose of colonisation?

Answer 15

“civilisation”

Question 16

What does “civilisation” mean?

Answer 16

• europeans saw themselves as the most evolved form of humans
• saw spreading european political structures as contributing to the advancement of humanity