Understanding the State, Territory, People, and Conflicts

THE STATE

Institutions to organize the people.

Formed by: population, territory

Under: The power of the state

Functions: established laws, enforce laws, govern

TERRITORY

• Associated with the territory they run and govern
• Defined by borders that separate them from other states and their territories.
• Can't make decisions outside their borders.
• If rules aren't respected, conflicts arise between states.

PEOPLE

• Have the same rights for everyone.
• Don't necessarily have the same social, political, and cultural background.
• It's common for people of different cultures and nationalities to live in the same state.

DEMOCRACY

• Equality: before the law, personal social and political rights, opportunities
• Justice: people, groups, individuals/groups, communities/countries
• Freedom: to act without limitations, participation in the making of rules that govern people's conduct, self-determination of peoples.

Parliament

makes the laws.

Government

determines the policies to be followed by the state.

Judicial authority

applies the laws.

DIFFERENT CONFLICTS

Sometimes conflicts between states happen due to very different reasons: territorial disputes, the control of natural resources, nationalism, cultural or religious differences...

• Economical conflicts: economical interest provoking the rise of prices and economical duties or even the prohibition of trade.
• Diplomatic conflicts: minor incidents in a border between two countries.
• Military conflicts: provoked directly a great number of injured and dead people.

There are also internal conflicts that can lead to civil wars.

TERRORISM

A conflict between groups of state. Violence is the predominant fact that distinguishes this kind of politics.

• Internal: Some groups feel that they can't reach their objectives through the elections and they decide to rise up in arms to achieve their goals.
• Global: Has international structure, international targets, sometimes a religious sense and they use to commit very bloody and indiscriminate actions.
• State-owned: Their objective is to exterminate political opposition

THE INTERVENTION OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY

Some countries are allowed to intervene in conflicts trying to stop the rising violence and reach an agreement