Nation state

A nation-state is a specific type of political entity. It occurs when a state and a nation are broadly congruent. A state is a centralized political organization that rules a population within a territory. A nation is a community based on a common identity. This identity often involves shared culture or ethnicity. While people often use the word "country" to describe a land, "nation-state" is more precise. A country or state does not always have one predominant national group. Some nations, like the Roma, exist as a community without a state of their own.

There are several ways to categorize political units. An empire is a large unit made of many different territories and peoples. Empires are often established through conquest and have a dominant center. A multinational state is a place where no single ethnic or cultural group dominates. This can also be called a multicultural state. A city-state is much smaller than a large sovereign country. A confederation is a league of different sovereign states. Finally, a federated state is only partially self-governing within a larger federation. For example, the United States is a federation, but its individual states do not have the same borders as ethnic lines.

Historians debate the origins of the nation-state. One major question is whether the nation or the state came first. Some scholars, like Michel Foucault, suggest the nation-state was an inadvertent byproduct. They believe 15th-century discoveries in geography and cartography helped create it. These advances in map-making and political economy changed how territory was viewed. Other theorists argue that the nation existed first. In this view, nationalist movements arose to demand sovereignty. These movements then created the nation-state to meet their needs.

Some modernization theories suggest governments created nations through specific policies. This process aims to unify and modernize an existing state. In the 19th century, developments like state-mandated education and mass media helped this happen. For instance, the French state implemented reforms to unify its people. Before the French Revolution, only half of the French people spoke French. Only a quarter spoke the version used in literature. By promoting a standardized dialect, the state helped create a national identity. Similar processes occurred during the unification of Italy.

Different types of nations emerged through different paths. Historians like Hans Kohn classify nations into two main groups. Ethnic nations, such as Germany or Italy, saw cultural unification happen before state unification. In these cases, a cultural movement preceded the creation of the state. On the other hand, state-driven nations like France or China are different. These are often called civic nations or territory-based nationalities. These models tend to flourish in multiethnic societies. They rely on shared civic identity rather than just shared ancestry.

The modern system of states is often called the Westphalian system. This system grew after the Treaty of Westphalia in 1648. It relies on clearly defined, independent entities that recognize each other's sovereignty. Before this, the Chanyuan system in East Asia served a similar purpose. Established in 1005, it set borders between the Song dynasty and the Liao dynasty. However, the rise of the Mongol Empire in the 13th century changed that balance. In the 19th century, the idea of the nation-state gained philosophical support through Romanticism. This era viewed the nation as a natural expression of a people.

History also shows how the concept of the nation-state was used for harm. In the 20th century, some movements linked the nation to race and ethnicity. This reached a peak with fascism and Nazism. In Nazi Germany, the state was defined by the concept of the "Volk," or people. Laws like the 1935 Nuremberg laws were used to exclude certain groups. Neither Jews nor the Roma were considered part of the German people. They were specifically targeted for persecution because they did not fit the ethnic definition.

Today, the power of the nation-state is changing. The post-war era has seen a rise in international agreements and supra-national blocs. These systems can limit the absolute sovereignty of a single state. Additionally, non-state actors are becoming more influential. International corporations and non-governmental organizations affect global politics. Some researchers link the creation of nation-states to shifts in power. Others suggest they emerge through processes of diffusion from international organizations. The way we define and manage borders continues to evolve.