2 States, Nations, and State Capacity Free Online FlashCards

What is a state?

A state is a set of governing institutions that claims authority over a territory and its population.

How do state formation and state-building differ?

State formation organizes and consolidates governing authority across territory; state-building more specifically develops institutions and practical governing capacity.

What does state capacity mean?

State capacity is a government’s ability to formulate and carry out decisions.

What is despotic power?

Despotic power is the ability of state elites to act without routine consultation with major social groups.

What is nation-building, and what can support it?

Nation-building develops identification with a shared national community, often within a state’s borders. Education, common languages, symbols, military service, and shared institutions can support it.

What is a fiscal contract?

A fiscal contract describes reciprocal state–society relations: taxation can expand state capacity, while fair and visible public services can encourage cooperation and voluntary compliance. The relationship is not automatic or equal.

What is a nation?

A nation is a community whose members understand themselves as sharing a political or cultural identity.

How can states and nations differ in their boundaries?

A state may contain several national communities, while a nation may span multiple states or lack a state of its own.

What is a nation-state?

A nation-state is an ideal in which state boundaries and national identity substantially coincide; few cases fit it perfectly.

What is the qualified relationship between war and state formation?

Military competition encouraged some early modern European rulers to raise revenue and build administrative and military organizations. War was not a universal formula and could also destroy institutions.

Why is state capacity considered multidimensional?

Capacity is multidimensional: a state may differ in its ability to collect taxes, enforce laws, maintain security, administer programs, or provide services.

Can state capacity vary within one country?

Capacity can vary within a country, such as between a capital and remote regions or among government agencies.