Internal Structure 1.The needs of a well-functioning state a)Clearly bounded territory served by an...
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Transcript of Internal Structure 1.The needs of a well-functioning state a)Clearly bounded territory served by an...
Internal Structure
1.The needs of a well-functioning statea) Clearly bounded territory served by an adequate infrastructureb) Effective administrative framework, a productive core area, and a prominent capital
2.All states confront divisive forces
Forms of Government
• Unitary – highly centralized government where the capital city serves as a focus of power.
• Confederal system – spreads the power among many sub-units and has a weak central government
• Federal – a government where the state is organized into territories; divides the power between the central government and the sub-units.
Unitary Systems Federal Systems Confederal Systems
More centralized Less centralized
Unitary and Federal Systems
1.Early European nation-states were unitary states:
a)Governments were highly centralized and powerful
b)Capital cities represented authority that stretched to the limits of the state
Unitary and Federal Systems
2. The federal state arose in the New Worlda) Newness of the culture, and emergence of
regionalism due to the vast size of territoriesb) Conditions did not lend themselves to
unitary systems of governmentc) Lack of a clear core area and the vastness of
national territory
Nigeria’s Federal Government – Allows states within the state to determine whether to have Shari’a Laws
Shari’a Laws
Legal systems based on traditional Islamic laws
Minnesota’s concealed weapons law requires the posting of signs such as this on buildings that do not allow concealed weapons.
The U.S. Federal Government – Allows states within the state to determine “moral” laws such as death penalty, access to alcohol, and concealed weapons.
Forces of Fragmentation and Cohesion:
Centripetal and Centrifugal Forces
Centripetal Forces
• Promoting State Cohesion• Nationalism• Unifying Institutions • Organization and Administration• Transportation and Communication• Supranationalism
Centrifugal Forces
• Challenges to State Authority • Nationalism • Devolution, Regionalism • Peripheral Location• Social and Economic Inequality
Devolution –Movement of power from the central government to regional governments within the state.
What causes devolutionary movements?
Ethnocultural forcesEconomic forcesSpatial forces
Ethnocultural Devolutionary Movements(ethnonationalism)
Eastern Europedevolutionary forces since the fall of communism
Economic Devolutionary Movements
Catalonia, SpainBarcelona is the center of banking and commerce in Spain and the region is much wealthier than the rest of Spain.
Spatial Devolutionary Movements
Puerto Rico A history apart from the United States, and a desire to live apart in order to keep traditions alive has led to decline statehood
Electoral Geography
1.Electoral geographersa) Study spatial configuration of electoral districtsb) Voting patternsc) Influence of voting patterns on social and political affairs
Electoral Geography
Gerrymandering - redrawing of voting districts in such a way as to give one political party maximum political advantage
• Creating of majority-minority districts the norm, BUT FL-3 is a “minority-majority”
Gerrymandering
• Stacked: drawing circuitous boundaries to enclose pockets of strength or weakness
• Excess vote: concentrates the votes of the opposition in a few districts which they can win easily, but leaves them few potential seats elsewhere
• Wasted vote: diffuses opposition’s vote
FL-3 is a federally mandated “minority-majority” district gerrymandered to give black voters a voice:
Supranational Organizations
A separate entity composed of three or more states that forge an association and form an administrative structure for mutual benefit in pursuit of shared goals.
* How many supranational organizationsexist in the world today?
At least 60
United Nations
• Background: League of Nations – 1919, idea of Woodrow Wilson but…
• Basics: – Cooperate with internationally approved
standards– 191 members– Aid: refugees, poverty, troops, human rights
Global Scale – The United Nations
Regional Scale - Europe
• Benelux: Belgium, Netherlands, Luxemberg• Marshall Plan: US aid to Western European Courntries• Organization of European Economic Cooperation (OEEC)
toEuropean Economic Community (EEC)
to European Community (EC)
to European Union (EU)
Regional Scale - Europe
• European Union: domestic, military, and certain sovereign policies that govern all members – 12 European Community (EC) members
established the EU – 1992– Euro introduced in 2002
Germany, France, UK, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Greece, Netherlands, Belgium, Luxemburg, Denmark and Ireland
Regional Scale – The European Union
Supranationalism Elsewhere…
• NAFTA – North American Free Trade Agreement
• ACS – Association of Caribbean States• APEC – Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation• CIS – Commonwealth of Impendent States• Treaties to reduce tariffs and facilitate trade• None like the European Union
Capitals
• Typically are centrally located to allow for equal access
• Many capitals have become distant to many areas due to growth: Washington D.C.
• Some capitals have been relocated to make the more accessible
Capitals
• Usually located in the core area and frequently the focus of it
• Capital cities are also frequently the largest or the Primate City
• Primate City: dominates the economic structure of the entire country
Forward-Thrust capital City
• Deliberately sited in a state’s interior • Brazil relocated its capital from Rio de
Janeiro to a new city called Brasilia • Nigeria – Abuja • Kazakhstan – Astana