Chapter Four

State, Government and

Citizenship

Understanding
State
 Chapter Four
State, Government and Citizenship

Chapter Objectives
After the successful completion of this lesson, you will be
able to:
 Define the terms of state, government, citizen, nationality
and citizenship.
 Understand the contending theories of state, government and
citizenship.
 Discern the rights and duties of citizens’ vis-à-vis to the
attributes of a good citizenship.
 List and explain the differences and similarities of these
state, gov’t &citizenship theories.
 Comprehend the weaknesses and strengthens of the various
state structures and gov’t systems.
 Enumerate and understand the ways of acquiring and losing
Ethiopian citizenship.
 Understanding State

Defining State
 State is Centralized political entity exercising sovereign jurisdiction within defined
territorial boundary
 A collection of political institutions, with sovereign power :{government, legislative,
judiciary &executive can make decisions in realm of social, political & cultural
fields }
 A territorial unit: {defined geographical area with its own political
authority.
 A philosophical idea,: {Thomas Hobbes' concept of the 'state of
nature‘ were human exist without any government /societal
organization. }
 An instrument of coercion / oppression, suppression {Nazi Hitler ,Tsarists of Russian,
Belgian Congolese dictator 1960, Joseph Mobutu}
 Centralized system dominating political life
 The 4 perspective views of state

We can understand State in 4 Perspective

dimensions.
1) Idealist perspective
2) Functionalist perspective
3) Organizational perspective
4) International perspective
 1. Idealist (Hegel) perspective
Hegel identified it to three moments of social existence for state :
State is the result of three social existences .
1) The family: what altruist people operates to encourages their own good interests
for their children ,elderly & relatives .
 State is heritage of family:
 Parent sacrifices their personal desires and aspirations to prioritize the education and
upbringing of their children.
2) Civil society: a sphere of ‘universal egoism’ in which individuals place their own
interests before those of others
 Realm of business and commerce ,
 pressure groups ,lobbyists
 Economic transactions to pursue their own financial gains
3) The state. state is an ethical community underpinned by mutual sympathy ( one
concerns for others )
 Provision of social welfare service, public healthcare or social security….
 [Link] approaches

Central function of state are :

 Focus on role /purpose/ of state institutions.
 Uphold & maintenance of social order
 Deliver social stability.
 Neo-Marxist see state is a mechanism of
ameliorating class conflict /deescalating /to ensure
the long-term survival of the capitalist system.
 [Link] organizational view

 Entire apparatus system and structure of

government in its broadest sense.
 Set of recognizably & responsible institutions that
serve collective social existence funded at public’s
expense.
 Encompasses Institutions, agencies, and
mechanisms through which the government
operates and exercises its authority.
 [Link] views

State comprises the various institutions (body politics) of such as :

 The bureaucracy
 The military
 The police
 The courts
 Social security system etc apparatus responsible for
organizing and governing society
 Community organizations, religious groups, trade unions,
&NGO ,IGO operate independently from the state and
contribute to social welfare.
 4. The international approach
 See state as Principal actor over international arenas )
 The basic ‘unit’ of international politics.
 This highlights the dualistic structure of the state; the fact that it
has two faces,
1) looking inwards : state concerned about the individuals and
groups that living in its borders & maintain domestic order
2) looking outwards :
 International view
 Deals, its relations with other states abroad
 Its ability to provide protection against external attack.
 (IS)Montevideo Convention of state features Article 1 (1933)

State has four features

1. Defined territory
 It is impossible to create state out of its territory .
 The territory of a state includes defined :
Land, Water, , Airspace; Maritime Jurisdiction extending up to a
distance of three miles, / some states contend up to 20 miles.
 The territorial authority of a state also include:
 Ships on high seas under its flag
 Embassies & diplomatic legations hoist their
national flag.
{Westphalia
treaty 1648, Vienna
conventions1961 }
 2. Permanent population
 Is a human association,
 It is first & indispensable element
Population Number
 State population greater than 1 billion China & India,
 States with few thousand people like Vatican & San Marino. (843,000)
Population Type
1) Heterogeneous :Population marked by diversity in respect of race, religion, language, culture, etc has
 Has problems for nation building if there where deep-rooted racism , arrogation
marginalization ,historic identity denial & ethnocentric mentality flourished in socio-politico system

2) Homogenous Population marked by relative similarity, having uniform

socio political ,cultural & Psychological makeup .
 It is good because it makes easy state building projects & smooth national integration process.
 3 .Effective Government

 Gov’t is the state machinery

 Is the soul of the state.
 Regarded as the first life condition of a human civilization in politics
evolution .
THE PURPOSE OF A GOVERNMENT :
 Maintain Law And Order
 Terminates anarchic situations .
 Protects The People Against Conditions Of Insecurity
 Intended To Makes ‘Good Life’ Possible.
 Implements the will of the community/people
THERE ARE MULTIFARIOUS FORM OF GOVERNMENT
Monarchical, Aristocracy, Technocracy, Meritocracy,
Plutocracy Oligarchic, Democracy, Junta(dictatorial )
No government, there is anarchy and the state is at an end.
 4. Sovereignty

 Is the principle of having legitimate absolute & unlimited

power.
 Is the highest power of the state that distinguishes it from all
other human associations.
ASPECTS OF SOVEREIGNTY
1) Internal Sovereignty :
 The state is believed as the final source of all laws internally.
 Implies there can be No other authority may claim equality with it
inside the state. No other Competing /Rivalry/ power
2) External sovereignty
 State should be free from foreign control of any kind.
 Cont’

[Link] recognition
 Is the 5th essential attribute of the state. State
should owe (possess) international personality’ by a
significant portion of the international community.
Example .today Punt Land ,Taiwan & Palestine
seeking international community recognition
 Rival Theories of State

Modern political analysis exerts ambivalent perspective debate,

discourse of ideological and theoretical discipline over nature of
states .
Andrew Heywood (2013) classified rival theories of the state,
accordingly to its origins, development & impact on society.
These are :
1) Pluralist State
2) Capitalist State
3) Leviathan State
4) Patriarchal State
 The Pluralist State
 State is agglomeration
/amalgamations of multifarious
/divers social groups pursuing their
politico economic interests.
 State has clearly a liberal lineage(descent)
 Acts as an ‘umpire’ adjudicative ,maneuvering role, ,
official ,‘referee’ in society.
 The state’s mission should be to act like a ‘referee’
and protect citizens and their rights from other fellow
citizens. (Show yellow and red cards?)
 Pluralism
 The state is a neutral body that arbitrates between
competing & accommodating various interests
of the society fostering contribution of different
groups policy formulation& implementation.
 It does not have an interest of its own that
separated from those of society.
 As Schwarzmantel (1994) argued ;state is
the servant of society &not its master.
 The Pluralist State
 State is effectively subordinate to government.
 The civil service, the judiciary, the police, the military… are non-
elected state bodies & are strictly impartial and are subject to the
authority of their political masters.
 The state apparatus shall conform to the principles of public service
&political accountability .
 State is susceptible to the influence of various groups of social
classes interests.
 State have various sources of political power. Therefore, a single
group do not have monopoly of political power.
 The Pluralist State
 State is neutral in its nature
 Modern state is not only dominated by one class, that is
the capitalist /bourgeoisie class, which dominates the
political power
 Pluralist view of state protest against the monistic theory
of state unlimited power.
 Institutions such as the Courts, Civil Service & Military
being seen as independent actors in their own right, rather
than /Puppet /kangaroo /of state machine.
 The Pluralist State
Pluralist notion of the state dictate as
State is set of conglomerative elements various sources
of political power holding its role so
No a single group can have monopoly of political power.
Modern state is not an actually a tool in which one class
can control over the other class.
.(Schwarzmantel, 1994).pluralist state has a political
atmosphere in which reconciliation of diverse society
interests prevailed
 The Pluralist State
 State is not only the highest institution but one of social
institutions.
 State does not reserve the authority to exercise autonomy
alone
 Sovereignty is not his private property of state
 Pluralistic believed that no single source of authority but
shared.
 Sovereignty is not indivisible and exclusive
 State sovereignty is a diversity in its essence &
manifestation,
 It is separable in two parts and should be divided”.
 The pluralist model two groups

1. Insider groups :groups tend to have similar views

to the government in power :These are (civil societies )
o Business group,
o labor groups
o Unions
o Agricultural / farmer associations,
o Professionals associates
o Lobbyist associations to promote the interests of their
members.
 The Pluralist State

2) Outsider groups :
 Are observed as less dominant group.
 have less access to elected government officials.
 Are recently known as social motivators /mobilization
agents
 Do grassroots social &political activism
 holds marches and rallies to bring attention, activism
to filter money to support specific candidates for
office.
 The Pluralist State
According to Dunleavy & O’Leary there are three
main pluralist views the state has three
model.
1) The Weathervane Model: /activists/ mobilizing group
 Those echoes public opinion and the demands of pressure groups.
 They enforce/ coerces state to concerns the interests of society.
2) The Neutral State Model:
 The state is perceived as the neutral or impartial arbiter who acts in the public’s interests.
 State is an arbiter who compromises between the demands of different pressure groups
and makes weakest groups are heard.
 They listens a range of different views to makes decisions in the public’s interest.
3) The Broker State Model:
 This model visualizes groups within the state having their own interests and concerns.
 Compromises with conflicting demands, most policies tend to reflect the concerns of the state
officials themselves.
 Key Advocators of Pluralism
Exponential pluralist theory Exponential plural theorists

 Otto Von Gierke,  Krabbe,

 F.W. Maitland,  Duguit,
 Figgis,  Harold Laski,
 G.D.H. Cole,  Cober,
 A.D. Lindsay,  Zimmern,
 Schwarzmantel, 1994  Robert Dahl
 J.N. Figgis,  Charles Lindblom
 Ernest barker (1953
 MacIver
 Capitalist State
 A capitalist state is a Predominant capitalist state are:
type of economic  USA UK France
 Germany Canada
system where most  Japan Australia
industries and means  Singapore South Korea
of production are  Sweden Switzerland
owned privately,  The Capitalist State theory posits
that the state functions primarily to
 In such a state, the economy is protect and uphold the interests of
driven by market forces, with the capitalist class or the
bourgeoisie/ruling class.
limited government  According to this theory, the
intervention. With Freedom capitalist state is fundamentally
economic agents like shaped by and serves the needs of
the ruling class, which holds
producers and consumers economic power and controls the
determines marketing price. means of production.
 2. The Capitalist State

• Marx did not develop a systematic / coherent

theory of the state.
• He believed as state is part of a ‘superstructure
determined /conditioned by economic ‘base
mediate between conflicting classes(Bourgeoisie
& proletariats)
 2. The Capitalist State

• Marxt denotes State is an instrument of class

oppression & class antagonisms faded .
• Marxists argued that it is unthinkable to
understand the state separating from the
economic structure of society.
 2. The Capitalist State

 Marxist ambivalent heritage of state theorizations

are dominated by rival instrumentalist &
structuralist views extrapolated in a modern
Neo-Marxists state theories of Antonio Gramsci
& Miliband .
 For Marx’s capitalist state is characterized by
continuous class contradiction between class
society of bourgeois & proletarians who struggle
for their gains , safeguarding by revolution.
The 1989 Jhon William Recommendation of 10 Washington
Consensus fee Market Policy for Capitalist State Economy
 3. The Leviathan State

 The concept of Leviathan state (powerful grand ,civil state )was 1st
Orchestrated in political philosophy of Thomas Hobbes published
in 1651.
 The leviathan state refers to a powerful and centralized
government that possesses absolute authority to
maintain social order and prevent chaos/anarchism.
 The leviathan state is characterized by its ultimate power
and control, which allows it to enforce laws and maintain
social stability security, economy, and morality.
 Leviathan
• Hobbes Leviathan has four themes :
1) State of Nature pre state human nature was characterized by anarchic
situation due to absence of gov’t. Human are constantly at war against all. Why because no
rule of law ,no invention, no knowledge, industry, crop, no art,
farm ,no society , so political system should arise to avoid the evil death due
civil war.
o The life of man in pre state nature is
solitary ,poor ,nasty ,brutish &short due to endless
annihilating war. (ዘመነ ሕጌ አራዊት ) ?
o Life is not really worth out of sovereign gov’t. የሉዓላዊ መንግሥት ጥበቃ የሌላት የሰው ሕይወት
ርካሽና ሟች ናት
o State of nature need strong (undivided gov’t)which terminate
the War of all against all ) so that Monarchy (ideal gov’t) is
the best of all form of government to maintain peace &
stability through exterminating brute situation.
o Hobbes extend his views monarchy style gov’t is the best from
of all gov’t to provide protection for its’ people.
 3. The Leviathan State

2) Social contract ;Thomas Hobbes believed that;

people should give up some of their personal liberties for
the greater good ,protections & ruled by a power full
sovereign entity to alleviate from state nature of anarchic
death.
 human psychology is vacuum of morality , rather
than morality ;human are driven by fear of death.
3) Role of religion /Christian faith
4) Kingdom of darkness/ignorance
 3. The Leviathan State

 The leviathan state pursues its own interest that are

separated from society.
 the New Right portrays state as an independent
or autonomous entity that pursues its own interests.
 A self-serving monster with threatening power ) intent to
expansion and self aggrandizement) power in
Modern Politics is new right for state .(መንግሥት
ራሱን አስፈሪ ፣እሳት ፈጂ ;ሃይል፤አድርጎ መቅረጽ አለበት )
 Leviathan new right viewed state shall encroaching the
rights of individuals &societies minimum demand.
 4. The Patriarchal State
Patriarchy is the social system in which men have
prime authority figure in areas of political
leadership, moral authority & control property.
As Sociologist Sylvia Walby denotes :
patriarch state is a system of social & political
structural practice in which men (masculine’s)
dominates ,oppresses /suppress women
(feminine's) .
 4. The Patriarchal State

 Modern thinkers assert that state must, finally, take

account of the implications of feminist theory .
 Feminists have usually disregarded the nature of
state power led by male dominance on institutions
such as the family & economic system.
 Liberal feminists, who believe that sexual or gender
equality can be brought through incremental reform.
The Patriarchal State
 Illustration of
Patriarchal State
 Liberal feminism views
 Liberal feminism recognized if women are denied legal and
political equality, and especially the right to vote, the state is biased
in favor of men
 liberal feminists believe that all groups (including women) have
potentially equal access to state power impartially to promote
justice and the common good.
 Liberal feminists portrays state should redressing gender
inequality and enhancing the role of women.
 Liberal feminist demands campaigns for equal-pay legislation ,
legalization of abortion, provision of child-care facilities,
extension of welfare benefits & so on.
 Radical feminists views

• Radical feminists, argue that state power reflects a deeper

structure of oppression in the form of its patriarchy notion.
• Marxists & radical feminists aggressively asserts that
gender inequality in state is an essential indication of
patriarchal state institution of male dominance power.
• Core feminist belief that patriarchy is rooted in the division of
society into distinct ‘public’ and ‘private’ spheres of life, men
dominating the former while women are confined to the later.
Quite simply, in this view, the state is run by men, and for men.
 Radical feminists views
 Radical feminists articulates that women as ‘home makers’ who
dependent on men as ‘breadwinners’) to a system of public dependence
 women have increasingly dependent on the state as clients /
customers services such as :
 Childcare institutions
 Nursery education
 Nursing
 Social work as employees,
 Caring’ professions
 Secretary
 Routine house chores .
 Radical feminism
 Radical feminism is a movement that believes sexism is so deeply
rooted in society that the only healing solution is to eliminate or
abolishing the concept of gender completely. How would this be
possible?
 Radical feminists suggest changes, such as finding technology that
will allow babies to be grown outside of a woman's body, to promote
more equality between men and women. This will allow women to
avoid missing work for maternity leave .
 eg Laboratory implantation/ incubation/
Insemination ,surrogacy service on payment to avoid some
women pregnancy load. Is it possible? Portray your
opinions
 The Role of the State

There are different state forms developed to provide

various functions & responsibilities .these are :
1) Minimal states
2) Developmental states
3) Social-democratic states
4) Collectivized states
5) Totalitarian states
6) Religious states
7) Globalization &state
 1. The Minimal State
 State acts as a night watchman, whose services are
called protecting citizens from sth threatening .
The minimal state is the ideal of classical liberals
whose aim is to ensure that individuals enjoy the
widest possible realm of freedom.
 The minimal perspective of state is only the capacity
to constrain human behavior & prevent individuals
from encroaching the rights & liberties of other
 M i n i m a l sta te

Minimal’ / Night Watchman’ State

Has Three Core Functions. Eg.
UK,USA 19th c. early industrialization
1) Maintain domestic order.
2)Ensures enforced (social contract )
voluntary agreements made
between private citizens
3)Provides protection against
external attack.
 M i n i m a l sta te

Minimal’ / Night Watchman’ State apparatus

are:
 police force
 court system
 military of some kind.
 Economic ,social, cultural, moral and other
responsibilities belong/steady to individual part of civil
society.
 M i n i m a l sta te

 Even John Locke liberalism based on a defense

of individual rights property rights.
 Free-market economists Friedrich von Haye &
Milton Friedman, state intervention in
economy is seen as a ‘dead hand’ that reduces
competition, efficiency and productivity.
 [Link] States

 Developmental states attempt to promote Industral growth and economic

development.
 Best example POST-WWII Japan & Germany state conglomerates (corporations).

 Why Developmental state intervenes

in economic
life with the specific purpose ?
 promoting industrial growth,
to moderate inflation
To maintain social welfare
re boost economic development.
Recently model high trajectory tiger economies of East Asia competent states.
TAIWAN , SINGAPOR, SOUTH KOREA,
HONGKONG,THAILAND .PHILIPPINE,INDONESIA,MALAYAN,VETINAM
3. Social Democratic (Welfare) States
 Social-democratic (welfare ) states intervene to broader soci
restructuring, with principles of fairness, equality and social justice
The welfare state focus on :
 Ameliorating the distribution of equitable wealth , Just
 Eradicate poverty
 Reduce income inequality gap among citizens
 reduce social inequality
 Aspires the social welfare & Keynesian economic policies
 Promoting growth, & employment.
 Regulate’ capitalism as to boil down social evils
 Keynesian economic policies strategies focus is demand management‘
through adjustments in fiscal policy; regulate‘ capitalism with a view
to promoting growth and maintaining full employment.
 4. Collectivized States

Collectivized states exert control over the entirety of

economic life, usually through a system of central
planning.
Cold war era USSR & Eastern Europe:
Example
Shoes. Green plastic boots of size 42 only.
 Watching only state sponsor radio & TV
No more than 1 million capital
 5. Totalitarian States

 Totalitarian states are all-encompassing ,influencing ,penetrates

every aspect of human existence, thus abolishing the distinction
between the state and civil society.
 Totalitarian states bring politicization of every issue are and, destroy
civil society.
 Coerce & shape society as be its protagonist agent.
 Introduce a neo-patrimonial networking systems.
Example. Setting net work criterion
Driving: Who can drive a car?
Reading and Writing: Who can go to school?
Shaves :Who should shave?
Investment : who should involved ?
 [Link] States

 Theocratic state is defined as state whose legal system based on religious law .
 Gov’t operated under divine rule, religiously-orientated guidance .
 Theocracy =“Godcracy “rule of god
 The opposit is Atheism: philosophical or religious position characterized by
disbelief in the existence of a god or any gods
Model are :Iranian, Afghanistan , Yemen ,,Sudan Saudi Arabia , under Sharia
jurisdictions .
Vatican City ecclesiastical rule
 Theocratic state are religiously-orientated governments operate in a context
of constitutional secularism .

     
 World Great Religions
Influencing State Politics
 Globalization & state
 Post-sovereign governance:
 The rise of globalization decline state principal actors
 Power has moved away from the state and towards markets agents Transnational Companies
(TNC) (MNC) Multinational Companies
Microsoft , Samsung, Ford ,Nike ,Pumas ,MacDonald ,Toyota
 Borderless world Economic activity takes place called ‘supra territoriality’.
 Supra state limits the ‘economic sovereignty’ of states. e.g.
 Inflow and outflow of capital, financial liberalization ,acculturation of Westernization /
Americanization.
 Flourishing of social and cultural Globalization in a contemporary world results political
Islamization in Arab world to preserve their indigenous social identity.
 Some theorists claim that ‘time and space’ is no longer existing.
 Shares are traded in different time zones at the same time.
 With the ease of travel and other technologies the idea of ‘space’ disappeared.
 Our globe is one village now a day.; In a blink of eyes you can buy ,sell ,learn from
across of globe.
 Chapter Four
State, Government and
Citizenship

Thank you !!!