In modern times, nations across continents are still challenged by their people, sometimes because of external forces or interest groups. The state is a supremely contested concept. Figuring out the components of the state from ancient to contemporary times seems so equally bound by the very same elements, approaches, purposes, and objectives, including other allied aspects. Max Weber emphasized the meaning of a modern state, a political society among individuals and leaders who comprise the multiple forms of bureaucracy.
The rise of many civil riots and domestic and international wars in the current geo-political paradigm of the world showcases the many conflicting interests and unaligned philosophies. When people are not content, actions can impact the welfare of the state and its people. A state is made up of political structures, institutions, and practices. The broad area of agreement compromised the elements of the modern state, namely (1) sovereignty, (2) the rule of law and the exercise of impersonal power, (3) authority and legitimacy, (4) citizenship, and (5) taxation. These elements are important pillars of a state’s freedom. They serve as arsenal factors in achieving a state’s unique identity, reflecting its governance and administration.
Sovereignty allows a state to govern its domestic affairs without foreign intervention. It is also equally important that a state respect international law. Thirdly, authority and legitimacy symbolize the acknowledgement and respect of the people for their government. Citizens should be able to exercise their views and opinions. Finally, taxation is the lifeblood of a state, so it can administer the operations.
Christopher Pierson raised two kinds of questions about the concept of the state. Firstly, as to what should the state be and what should it do? And finally, what are states actually like? The first question invites us to consider the proper terms for establishing and maintaining any political authority, for defining the appropriate relationship between the state and its members, and for determining the acceptable limits of state action. On the other hand, the second question has most often been addressed by political scientists and political sociologists. The strong political parties in the United States demonstrate the fight for ideologies and philosophies, dominated by the Republican Party and Democratic Party, which are important players in the American government.
Others considered the state to be a notoriously difficult concept to define. The state has meant, and continues to mean, a great variety of perspectives. Cultivated into a deeper essence, the state, for better or worse, like any situation or status, mobilizes the population in defense of its realms and regulates monitors and policies conducted within civil society. Likewise, the state intervenes within the economy and regulates the flow of information within the public sphere; to some extent, the state details merely some of its more obvious activities (Colin Hay and Michael Lister).
It is also important to consider how (1) state formation, (2) the state’s role in economic development, and (3) the state’s relation to social movements and ethnic identity formation are being conducted or how they happened. Karen Barkey and Sunita Parikh revealed that state-society relations are critical to the understanding of state action, considering that the traditional categories of differentiation such as structural-functionalism, Marxism, and pluralism have lost relevance and have been replaced by common conceptual strands that infuse every subfield of research on the state.
In a nutshell, even in “state-centered” analysis, the role of society and the nature of the state-society relationship have always received attention, and the trend in this direction is increasing. In effect, the term “state-centered” is of little value in specifying the perspective being used; hence, variables such as autonomy, capacity, and state strength are usually defined about society.
A state is always a political unit, characterized by the kind of government and people it has.
