The term state can be interpreted in a broad sense as a collection of people living in a certain territory. In a narrow sense, it is a political structure that has the highest power in a certain territory.
Instruction manual
1
The state as a political institution has a number of features. Among them, the most important are the territory, sovereignty and population.
2
The state is localized in a certain territory. This distinguishes him from tribal or socio-political associations. The territory is inseparable, inviolable (this is expressed in the principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of another state), exclusive and inalienable. A state that has lost its territory ceases to be such.
3
The main trend of the modern world is the gradual erosion of the territory of states. This is expressed in the formation of supranational blocs and unions, as well as in limiting the influence of the state on the territory of their country due to information or external influence - another state. The influence of transnational corporations is also growing in political life. However, all these trends do not mean the withering away of the territory as a state element. On the contrary, its significance is still extremely great. Confirmation of this is the ongoing conflict over disputed territories or for maintaining the unity and integrity of the state.
4
Another inapplicable attribute of the state is the population. This is a human community that lives in a certain territory. The population should not be equated with a nation. Since the state can be multinational and unite several nationalities. Moreover, ethnic community is not always systemically important for the state (for example, as in the USA or Switzerland). The state population has not only a common origin and culture, but economic and civilian components. The presence of an integral people is the basis of stability and integrity of the state system. Whereas the presence of a split on a social or religious basis can become the basis for the formation of conflicts in the state and creates a threat to its territorial integrity.
5
The defining feature of the state is sovereign power. It involves the supremacy of power independent of external forces on the territory of the state. The sovereignty of power is expressed in its universality (i.e., spreading influence over the entire population), supremacy, and the exclusive right to legitimate violence. State power is often characterized through two categories - legitimacy and legality. In the latter case, we are talking about its right status. The legitimacy of power is a subjective phenomenon, it reflects the confidence in the government on the part of the population of the state.
