Today, without the institution of the state, it is impossible to imagine the modern world. It is a special form of organization of political power, which has its own characteristics.
Types of State
The state is a key subject of political activity that ensures the management of society, and also serves as the guarantor of order and stability in it. The state can also be considered as a combination of political institutions. This includes the government, the courts, the army, etc.
Separate the internal and external functions of the state. Among the internal functions can be identified:
- political (ensuring order and the functioning of public authorities);
- economic (regulation of economic relations in the state - the definition of market mechanisms, development strategies, etc.);
- social (the implementation of health care, education and cultural support programs);
- ideological (the formation of the value system of society).
Among the most important external functions are called defense (ensuring national security), as well as the function of upholding national interests and establishing international cooperation.
According to the form of government, the states are heterogeneous, among them there are monarchies (constitutional and absolute) and republics (presidential parliamentary and mixed). Unitary states, federations, and confederations can be distinguished by the form of government.
Often the state is perceived as an identical concept for such meanings as a country, society, government, although this is not true. A country is a cultural-geographical concept, while a state is a political one. Society is a broader concept than the state. For example, we can talk about society on a global scale, while states are localized and represent individual societies. The government is just a part of the state, an instrument for exercising political power.
Attributes of the state are the territory, population, as well as the state apparatus. The territory of the state is limited by borders that are shared by the sovereignty of various states. It is impossible to imagine a state without a population that consists of its subjects. The state apparatus ensures the functioning and development of the state.
