The Origins of the State THE STATE

The Origins of the State

THE STATE is a central concept in the study and practice of politics State (Webster’s Dictionary: a form or mode of being, a condition). From Latin status (literally: standing) The political term “the state” conveys the idea of “an impersonal and sovereign political order”* in society

Society and the State Human society predates the state. 200, 000 years of human existence passed without the state The state arises at a certain stage in social evolution: when human society becomes bigger, more complex, more productive, more divided by private property – and when the very existence of society begins to require a special mechanism for coordination and use of social power

Band – a small community bound by blood ties › Not centralized, egalitarian (low inequality), low division of labour (mostly genderbased), › Decisions are made collectively. › Unity is based on customs and traditions Hunter and gatherer societies

Tribe – a group of bands united for a common purpose › In order to survive, humans tend to form bigger groups. › Also egalitarian: power is dispersed throughout the tribe. › Leaders are first among equals, they don’t have the means to compel tribesmen to obey. Custom, tradition, ritual, religious belief are the main tools to maintain social order. Agricultural societies (farming, animal husbandry)

Chiefdom – a transitional form on the way from tribe to state. › A larger society with more developed division of labour, higher productivity, which means that there is surplus product to use beyond mere subsistence. › Private property appears, inequality grows, people are more and more divided by class. › Power is increasingly separate from society, as power over society. › Authority is formalized (institutionalized) in the office of the chief, which can be filled by different people. The chief has means of compelling members of society (military force) Develops in agricultural societies, which increasingly rely on slave labour Appears about 10, 000 years ago

State – a highly structured organization of power over a more developed, more complex, class-divided society. › The state is capable of performing massive tasks: suppressing social revolts, waging wars, organizing construction of fortresses, dams and canals, minting money. › It has the power to tax and to punish those who break the law › The city is the seat of state power First states appear in Egypt, Babylon, Assyria and Persia (Iran), beginning around 5, 000 years ago. RECORDED HISTORY OF HUMANITY BEGINS

Anthony Giddens: “Modernity is. . . a shorthand term for modern society, or industrial civilization. Portrayed in more detail, it is associated with › (1) a certain set of attitudes towards the world, the idea of the world as open to transformation, by human intervention; › (2) a complex of economic institutions, especially industrial production and a market economy; › (3) a certain range of political institutions, including the nation-state and mass democracy…

Modernization Development of industrial, urban, capitalist (with important exceptions) societies, organized in nationstates, guided by belief in reason, science, and progress, and undergoing constant change A long, uneven, tumultuous and often violent process that starts in Western Europe and gradually reshapes the entire world Wars, intense struggles for power, revolutions Colonial conquests Development of global markets The West captures global dominance

“The state” and “government” The term “the state” has a broader meaning, referring to the entire set of social relations concerning the use of political power “Government” is a narrower term referring to how a state is organized We say “government” when we refer to: › a particular group exercising political power at the moment (e. g. the Conservative Government) › institutions of a state (e. g. the Federal Government) Ontario has a government, but it is not a state. Ontario is a part of the Canadian state Canada is a state, and it has a government

Analyzing the state: 3 main traditions STATIST PLURALIST MARXIST

STATIST THEORIES The oldest ideas about the state. Value order above freedom. --The state is like a living body, a powerful “organic” entity which always dominates society it controls --Policies of the state are motivated, above all, by the interests of the state (raison d’etat – Fr. ), which are considered the same as the interests of society. Stress social unity. --Reflect the experience of ancient and medieval empires, absolute monarchies of the Modern Age, right-wing and left-wing dictatorships of the last century.

Pluralism (political theory) Classical pluralism is the view that politics and decision making are located mostly in the framework of government, but that many non-governmental groups use their resources to exert influence. The central question for classical pluralism is how power and influence is distributed in a political process. Groups of individuals try to maximize their interests. Lines of conflict are multiple and shifting as power is a continuous bargaining process between competing groups.

MARXIST THEORIES Since mid-19 th century, have influenced development of political thought, and provided ideological fuel for socialist movements. Value social justice and equality above order and freedom --View the state as the tool used by the dominant class to maintain its domination. --Policies of the state reflect, above all, the interests of the dominant class, rooted in private ownership of the means of production. --Stress class conflict as the main dynamic of society. --Advocate the creation of a classless society in which the state will “wither away” as no longer needed.

Each of the three approaches contains important insights into the nature of the state. --The different theories overlap, interact, influence each other. --They continue to evolve, as people search for new answers to the problems they face --Depending on the course of history, some ideas become more influential than others --Some work better in the practice of government --Others work better as sources of the politics of protest and change

A World of States In the last 5, 000 years, humanity has created thousands of different states, from tiny citystates to global empires Today, there are 196 sovereign states in the world, 193 of which are members of the United Nations. Almost all of them are nation-states organized on the basis of distinct nations