What is a Nation-State?

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The first few days of class, I remember going over the significance of a nation-state. Everyone identified it as a country governed under one government, however, what exactly is a nation-state? It was decided that in order to understand its meaning we would dissected the word; a nation was identified not as a physical identity but rather how individual identify themselves, which can be interpreted as what you think of yourself. A state was determined to be the physical characteristics, such as the boarders of a land, it also constitutes of human resources and governmental agencies. Thus, a nation-state is both the identity of individuals and the physical aspects mentioned above.

Historically, a nation-state has been a territory autonomous and self-interested, which is created through political, social, and national values. With end of the Thirty Years War the Peace of Westphalia emerged. This treaty was signed in 1648, which established the sovereignty of nation-states and have them the ability to levy taxes, form national governments, and protect its sovereignty without violating others (Ray and Kaarbo 28). However, as nation-state’s economic markets and corporations began to blur national boarders, technological advances, and creation of organizations in response to international emergencies; the historical interpretation had to evolve and mutate in order to adjust to today’s globalized time period.

First, the nation-state has evolved with the aspect of market and economic global interdependence. Exports and imports have always been a powerful characteristic that unites the world’s economy. When the western hemisphere was discovered the European nations began to export the natural resources and good. However, over time this ...

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...ernment to govern its people. Thus, although the historical concept of a nation state is not diminishing it is evolving through transnationalism and globalization generated with the nation-state’s economic markets and corporations crossing national boarders, technological advances, and creation of Nongovernmental Organizations and Intergovernmental Organizations. In today’s society the world is truly interdependent, each nation-state has become an important part in the world’s model of System Analysis and with one part missing it is unable to properly function.

Works Cited

"The Face of Egypt's Social Networking Revolution." Breaking News Headlines: Business, Entertainment & World News. CBS News. 24 Oct. 2011 .

Ray, James L. Global Politics. Ninth ed. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2007.

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