The Nature of Sovereignty
Sovereignty is constructed by mutual recognition: a state's existence needs to be accorded formal acceptance by other states. Power over state affairs is allocated to the recognized authority over the land and people within that bounded territory (Johnston et al. 2000). The protection of territorial sovereignty is dependent on having two key institutions: defence forces, which protect the state by using force or the threat thereof, and a diplomatic service, which protects sovereignty through the use of negotiation or persuasion. Since 1945, the UN has been the international institution in which all the recognised states discuss their territorial or diplomatic disputes and through which recognition is sought by aspiring states.
In order to exercise authority, state boundaries need to be clearly defined. States acknowledge each other's right to rule its own territory and people within its boundaries without external interference. On maps, the representation of precise lines separating territories masks that those boundaries have been constructed. Many such boundaries are contested. Some boundaries are unclear where, especially after wars, territorial disputes have remained unresolved. The "line of control" separating India's and Pakistan's claims to Kashmir is an example. The Palestinian-Israeli conflict is a situation where two national groups have laid claim to the same territory, each aspiring - one succeeding (in 1948) - to create a state.
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Date last modified: October 8, 2009.
NSF Project (AAG,Texas State, Northern Colorado)