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Questions and Answers
What is the Treaty of Westphalia known for?
What is defined as a social group linked through common descent, culture, language, and territorial contiguity?
Nation
What is the term for the institutional form that arises after the decline of the feudal system?
State
A nation-state integrates sub-groups that define themselves as a nation with the organizational structure of the state.
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What does the term 'national identity' refer to?
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Benedict Anderson described the nation as an 'imagined ______ community'.
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What principle did the Treaty of Westphalia establish regarding state authority?
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Who was the primary figure challenging the stability of the Westphalian system?
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Study Notes
Community
- A community consists of individuals sharing a common identity and belonging.
- Forms the foundation of a nation, fostering a sense of unity.
Context
- The Treaty of Westphalia (1648) ended the Thirty Years' and Eighty Years' Wars in Europe.
- Established a system recognizing sovereign states at its core.
Components of Nation-States
- Nation (Cerney 2007): Social groups linked by common descent, culture, language, and territory.
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State (Cerney 2007): Emerged after the feudal system, characterized by:
- Centralized authority beyond city-states.
- Institutionalized office holders who are not beholden to socio-economic hierarchies.
- Resource allocation through taxation rather than feudal or religious obligations.
- A state has the capacity for internal and external collective actions, such as taxation and warfare.
Nation-State
- A nation-state integrates national sub-groups within a state's organizational structure.
National Identity
- Described as a dynamic collective identity based on the belief in shared characteristics differentiating a community from others.
- Influenced by factors such as monarchy, sports, and religion.
Nationalism
- A movement advocating for the nation as the foundation of political structures, particularly states.
Imagined Community
- Coined by Benedict Anderson (2006) as an "imagined political community" existing in people’s minds.
- National experiences are characterized by several aspects:
- Personal contact is impossible; individuals must envision their shared identity.
- Nations do not consider themselves universally inclusive.
- Sovereignty implies independence and freedom.
- There exists a sense of deep camaraderie, despite inequalities within nations.
Indicators of Imagined Community
- Print media (e.g., newspapers, novels) and digital media (e.g., internet, social media) facilitate the maintenance and dissemination of communal identity among dispersed populations.
Principles of the Treaty of Westphalia
- Established that all states are free and equal, with no higher temporal authority.
- States possess ultimate authority over both internal and external matters.
- Power acquisition legitimizes rule, with might dictating right.
- States can engage in agreements on behalf of people irrespective of their constitutional status.
- State actions towards non-citizens are not bound by the same standards as those for citizens.
- Non-state actors cannot contest territorial borders.
The Interstate System
- The Westphalian system initially provided stability to European nations until challenged by Napoleon Bonaparte’s ambitions.
- Napoleonic Wars (1803-1815) aimed to spread the principles of the French Revolution: liberty, equality, fraternity.
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Description
This quiz explores the foundational concepts of nation-states and communities. It delves into the Treaty of Westphalia and the components that define a nation and a state. Test your understanding of how these concepts interrelate and shape our modern world.
