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