Definitions of State

Ask five political theorists to define the State and you get five sentences that sound different and mean almost the same thing. Learn the shape they share, and every one of the differently worded definitions the exam throws at you becomes recognisable instead of intimidating.

In two minutes

Named definitions of the State differ in emphasis — some stress territory, some obedience, some coercive power — but nearly all of them name the same four elements: population, territory, government and sovereignty.

The rest of this chapter

The full explanation, the cheat sheet, every previous-year question at every mark weight, the quiz and the answer skeletons are part of Political Science – I: Political Theory and Political Organisation on LexBlox Semester. Sign in to unlock the subject, or read Module 1 of Legal Language and Writing free.