The state: nation-state and national sovereignty | Edexcel A-Level Politics
Updated: 5 hours ago
For Specification 9PL0
Edexcel A-Level Politics | Free Revision Notes
Estimated study time: 50–60 minutes
The state is the starting point for Edexcel Global Politics because much of the course asks whether states still control political life in an increasingly interconnected world. This The state: nation-state and national sovereignty A-Level Politics revision page explains what makes a nation-state, what national sovereignty means and why state sovereignty remains such an important concept. These ideas provide the foundation for understanding the process of globalisation, international organisations, regionalism and competing realist and liberal interpretations of global politics.
Learning Objectives 🎯
By the end of this revision page, you should be able to:
Define a nation-state using the characteristics required by the specification.
Define sovereignty and explain the meaning of national sovereignty.
Explain the relationship between the nation-state, citizenship, nationality and sovereign authority.
Analyse why state sovereignty is significant within the global political system.
Explain how globalisation, global governance, international law and regionalism may affect sovereignty.
Apply the concept of sovereignty when analysing wider Global Politics issues.
Revision Notes 📚
The state: nation-state and national sovereignty A-Level Politics revision essentials
Edexcel places the state and globalisation first within Global Politics. The specification defines the two central ideas very precisely:
A nation-state is an autonomous political community held together by citizenship and nationality.
Sovereignty means absolute and unlimited power and authority.
National sovereignty refers to the state's absolute power over its citizens and subjects.
These definitions matter because the rest of Global Politics repeatedly asks whether states still possess this authority or whether globalisation, international institutions, law and regional organisations have reduced it.
What is a nation-state?
A nation-state combines political organisation with a community bound together through citizenship and nationality. The specification's glossary describes it as an autonomous political community held together by citizenship and nationality.
Three features therefore matter.
1. It is a political community
A nation-state consists of people organised within a political community. The concept is therefore more than simply a population. Political authority operates over the community.
2. It is autonomous
Autonomy is central to the idea of the nation-state. The state possesses its own political authority rather than being governed by a higher political authority.
This links directly to sovereignty. A political community that possesses ultimate authority is able to make and enforce decisions over those subject to its authority.
3. It is held together by citizenship and nationality
Edexcel specifically identifies citizenship and nationality as the ties binding the political community together.
For an exam answer, the safest definition is therefore:
A nation-state is an autonomous political community bound together by citizenship and nationality.
Do not replace this with a vague description such as "a country with a government". The specification requires the connection between political community, autonomy, citizenship and nationality.
What is sovereignty?
Sovereignty is defined by Edexcel as absolute and unlimited power and authority. National sovereignty applies this principle to the nation-state. The specification describes it as the state's absolute power over citizens and subjects.
Sovereignty therefore concerns the location of ultimate political authority.
If a state is sovereign, it is not simply influential or powerful. Sovereignty means that the state possesses the highest political authority over those subject to it.
This distinction becomes especially important when studying globalisation and the state system. Globalisation may make it harder for governments to exercise complete control, but a reduction in practical control is not automatically the same thing as the disappearance of sovereignty.
Nation-state and sovereignty together
The two concepts are closely connected:
Nation-state | National sovereignty |
An autonomous political community | The authority possessed by that political community |
Held together by citizenship and nationality | Absolute power over citizens and subjects |
Describes the political unit | Describes the authority exercised by the state |
A central actor within global politics | A central principle governing relations between states |
A strong answer should therefore avoid treating the terms as interchangeable.
The nation-state is the political community. Sovereignty describes the authority possessed by the state.
Why is state sovereignty significant in global politics?
State sovereignty is important because the Edexcel specification repeatedly uses it to explain both how the global political system works and why global co-operation can be difficult.
States remain key actors
Within realism, states are treated as the key actors in global politics. Realism connects this directly to sovereignty and the balance of power.
This gives sovereignty major significance because states:
exercise political authority over their own citizens and subjects
pursue their interests within global politics
participate in international institutions
remain central to questions of power, security and conflict
The importance attached to sovereign states is therefore one of the major differences explored later in realism and liberalism compared.
Sovereignty and international anarchy
The specification also requires students to understand international anarchy, meaning the absence of an overarching authority above states.
This does not mean that global politics is necessarily chaotic. It means that there is no universal political authority governing sovereign states in the same way that a state governs its citizens.
The significance of sovereignty can therefore be expressed as a chain of reasoning:
States possess sovereign authority.
There is no overarching world authority above them.
The global political system is therefore composed primarily of independent states.
Co-operation depends heavily on states accepting rules, agreements and institutions.
State sovereignty can consequently limit how far global organisations can impose decisions.
Edexcel's alternative idea of an anarchical society and society of states accepts that anarchy exists but also recognises that norms and rules can create trust and co-operation between states.
Sovereignty and globalisation
Globalisation creates one of the biggest debates about the continuing importance of sovereignty.
The specification requires students to study widening and deepening interconnectedness and interdependence, challenges to state control, the development of international law and humanitarian and forcible intervention. It then requires assessment of the implications of globalisation for the nation-state and national sovereignty.
This leads directly into debates about globalisation.
Why globalisation may challenge sovereignty
Greater interconnectedness may make it harder for individual states to exercise unrestricted control.
The specification identifies areas including:
international law
increasing interconnectedness and interdependence
humanitarian intervention
forcible intervention
These can challenge the traditional idea that sovereign governments possess completely unrestricted authority.
Why sovereignty may remain important
A challenge to sovereignty is not automatically its destruction.
The specification presents competing interpretations of globalisation, including hyperglobalist, sceptical and transformationalist positions, alongside realist and liberal perspectives. This means students should avoid assuming there is only one accepted conclusion about whether globalisation has weakened the state.
The October 2020 examiner report noted that stronger candidates developed this debate rather than merely stating that globalisation weakened sovereignty. They supported claims with examples and explained why developments affected the significance of the state.
Sovereignty and global governance
Global governance means decision making at a global level, while world government would involve a common political authority with legislative and executive power over states. These are not the same thing.
This distinction is crucial.
Global governance may involve states agreeing to co-operate through institutions, rules and agreements without establishing a sovereign government above them.
Therefore:
Global governance can restrict or influence state behaviour without necessarily replacing the sovereign state.
This tension appears throughout the course when studying the United Nations, economic institutions and global responses to contemporary political problems.
Sovereignty and international human rights
International human-rights institutions create another major tension.
The specification explicitly requires students to study:
the impact of international human-rights institutions on state sovereignty
humanitarian intervention
responsibility to protect
conflict between these developments and state sovereignty
debates about whether international law is accepted and enforced
You will examine this directly in human rights and state sovereignty.
The basic tension is straightforward:
State sovereignty | International human-rights governance |
Emphasises the state's authority | May place expectations or obligations on states |
Protects independent state decision making | International law may seek common standards |
Resists outside interference | Humanitarian intervention may involve action concerning events within states |
This is why sovereignty frequently becomes part of arguments about whether international institutions can effectively protect human rights.
Sovereignty and regionalism
The specification also requires students to assess the impact of regionalism on state sovereignty. It includes economic, security and political regionalism, as well as debates about supranational and intergovernmental approaches within the European Union.
The tension can be understood through two contrasting possibilities.
Regionalism may constrain sovereignty
States may agree to common rules or decision-making arrangements within regional organisations.
Where decision making becomes supranational, authority can operate above the individual member state. This creates an obvious debate about whether sovereignty has been reduced or pooled.
Regionalism may preserve state sovereignty
Regional organisations can also remain predominantly intergovernmental, meaning states retain an important role in decision making.
The important exam point is therefore not simply to state that regionalism "destroys sovereignty". You should analyse how much authority states retain and how much decision making has moved to regional institutions.
The 2021 examiner report found that stronger responses to a sovereignty question evaluated both sides of this debate and considered whether regional organisations genuinely displaced states as important decision makers.
Why sovereignty matters across the whole Global Politics course
Sovereignty is not an isolated definition to memorise. It connects several areas of the specification.
Area of the course | Why sovereignty matters |
Globalisation | Raises questions about whether interconnectedness weakens state control |
International law | Raises questions about whether rules can be enforced against sovereign states |
Human rights | Creates tension between state authority and international protection |
Regionalism | Raises questions about whether political authority is shared or transferred |
Realism | Treats sovereign states as key actors |
Global governance | Tests how much collective decision making can occur without world government |
This is why learning the definition now makes later topics much easier. The concept also helps explain the changing significance of states when studying great powers, superpowers and emerging powers.
Exam application: how to analyse sovereignty
When an exam question mentions sovereignty, avoid stopping at a definition.
A useful analytical sequence is:
Identify where authority lies.
Explain what may be challenging that authority.
Analyse whether the state has actually lost decision-making power.
Consider whether the state voluntarily participates in the arrangement.
Reach a judgement about how significant the challenge really is.
For example, if a hypothetical regional organisation creates common rules, simply saying "sovereignty is weakened" is only an assertion. A stronger explanation would identify whether states have transferred decision-making authority, whether decisions can be imposed on them and whether states still control important areas of political life.
Hints from the Examiner Reports 💡
Examiner hint: Do not turn analysis into description. The 2020 report found stronger responses explained how developments affected sovereignty and supported arguments with relevant examples, rather than merely asserting that sovereignty had weakened.
Examiner hint: When sovereignty is being evaluated, consider both the challenge to state authority and the evidence that states remain important decision makers. The 2021 report highlighted stronger answers that developed both sides of arguments about regional organisations and state sovereignty.
Examiner hint: In extended responses, knowledge alone is not enough. Examiner reports repeatedly stress the need to turn accurate AO1 knowledge into chains of reasoning and, for 30-mark questions, substantiated evaluation and a justified conclusion.
A useful habit is therefore:
knowledge → explanation → consequence → judgement
For example:
Regional organisations create common decision-making structures → some decisions move beyond the individual state → this can restrict independent state action → therefore sovereignty may be reduced, although the extent depends on how much authority the organisation actually possesses.
Common Mistakes ⚠️
Mistake: Defining sovereignty as simply "being powerful"
Why this is incorrect: Political influence and sovereignty are not identical. Edexcel defines sovereignty as absolute and unlimited power and authority.
How to improve: Use the specification definition first, then apply it to the question.
Mistake: Treating a nation-state and sovereignty as the same thing
Why this is incorrect: A nation-state is the political community. Sovereignty describes the authority exercised by the state.
How to improve: Remember:
nation-state = political unit; sovereignty = ultimate authority.
Mistake: Forgetting citizenship and nationality
Why this is incorrect: The specification explicitly defines a nation-state as a political community held together by citizenship and nationality.
How to improve: Include both terms whenever you define a nation-state.
Mistake: Assuming globalisation automatically ends state sovereignty
Why this is incorrect: The specification requires competing interpretations of globalisation and its implications for sovereignty. The extent of any decline is therefore a debate.
How to improve: Ask whether a development merely influences a state or actually removes its decision-making authority.
Mistake: Confusing global governance with world government
Why this is incorrect: Global governance involves decision making at a global level. World government would involve an overarching political authority with legislative and executive powers over states.
How to improve: Use the distinction when explaining why international co-operation can grow while sovereign states continue to exist.
Mistake: Writing only about sovereignty being weakened
Why this is incorrect: Many sovereignty questions require assessment. One-sided answers struggle to demonstrate developed analysis and evaluation.
How to improve: For every alleged challenge to sovereignty, ask what authority the state still retains.
Exam-Style Questions ✍️
Question 1
Define sovereignty. (1 mark)
reveal mark scheme and indicative content
1 mark for:
Sovereignty is absolute and unlimited power and authority.
Question 2
State two characteristics of a nation-state. (2 marks)
reveal mark scheme and indicative content
Award 1 mark each for two of the following:
it is an autonomous political community
it is held together by citizenship
it is held together by nationality
Maximum 2 marks.
Question 3
Explain one reason why state sovereignty is important to the realist view of global politics. (4 marks)
reveal mark scheme and indicative content
A strong answer could explain that realism regards states as key actors in global politics and links this to the balance of power and state sovereignty. Sovereignty matters because states possess political authority and operate within an international system without an overarching authority.
Award credit for accurate knowledge and a developed connection between sovereignty and the realist significance of states.
Question 4
Consider this hypothetical situation:
State A joins a regional organisation. Member states agree that some political decisions will be made collectively. State A continues to control many other areas of policy through its own government.
Analyse how this arrangement could both challenge and preserve the sovereignty of State A. (6 marks)
reveal mark scheme and indicative content
Possible points include:
Collective decision making may constrain State A because it no longer determines every relevant decision independently.
If authority has moved to the regional level, State A's freedom of action may therefore be reduced.
However, State A continues to possess authority in many areas.
The scenario therefore demonstrates that sovereignty can be challenged without necessarily disappearing completely.
Higher-mark answers should explain the consequences for sovereignty rather than simply identify them.
Question 5
Examine the ways in which increasing global interconnectedness may affect national sovereignty. (12 marks)
reveal mark scheme and indicative content
Indicative content may include:
challenges to state control
international law
humanitarian intervention
forcible intervention
competing interpretations of whether these developments significantly reduce sovereignty
For higher marks, develop logical chains of reasoning linking each development to its effect on state authority.
Question 6
Examine why state sovereignty remains significant in global politics despite the growth of global governance. (12 marks)
reveal mark scheme and indicative content
Indicative content may include:
sovereign states remain central political actors
international anarchy means there is no overarching global authority
global governance does not necessarily amount to world government
states remain central to international organisations and agreements
international law and regionalism can nevertheless place limits on independent decision making
growing global governance can therefore challenge sovereignty without necessarily eliminating it
A strong response should examine the significance of sovereignty rather than merely define it.
Question 7
Evaluate the view that the sovereign state remains the most important basis of global politics.
You must consider this view and the alternative to this view in a balanced way. (30 marks)
reveal mark scheme and indicative content
A balanced response could develop the following argument.
Arguments supporting the view:
Sovereignty remains the defining authority of the nation-state.
Realism regards sovereign states as the key actors in global politics.
International anarchy means there is no overarching political authority above states.
Global governance can operate through co-operation between states rather than replacing them.
Arguments challenging the view:
Globalisation produces widening and deepening interconnectedness.
International law can challenge unrestricted state authority.
Human-rights governance and humanitarian intervention create conflicts with sovereignty.
Regionalism and supranational decision making may transfer or pool political authority.
International organisations and non-state actors can increasingly influence global political outcomes.
Judgement: The strongest answers should distinguish between sovereignty being constrained and sovereignty disappearing. Globalisation, international law and regionalism create substantial limits on completely unrestricted state action, but the specification continues to place sovereign states at the centre of major debates about power, international anarchy and global governance. A justified conclusion should decide whether these developments fundamentally replace sovereign state authority or mainly modify the environment in which that authority operates.
Answers and indicative mark scheme
Question 1
1 mark for:
Sovereignty is absolute and unlimited power and authority.
Question 2
Award 1 mark each for two of the following:
it is an autonomous political community
it is held together by citizenship
it is held together by nationality
Maximum 2 marks.
Question 3
A strong answer could explain that realism regards states as key actors in global politics and links this to the balance of power and state sovereignty. Sovereignty matters because states possess political authority and operate within an international system without an overarching authority.
Award credit for accurate knowledge and a developed connection between sovereignty and the realist significance of states.
Question 4
Possible points include:
Collective decision making may constrain State A because it no longer determines every relevant decision independently.
If authority has moved to the regional level, State A's freedom of action may therefore be reduced.
However, State A continues to possess authority in many areas.
The scenario therefore demonstrates that sovereignty can be challenged without necessarily disappearing completely.
Higher-mark answers should explain the consequences for sovereignty rather than simply identify them.
Question 5
Indicative content may include:
widening and deepening interconnectedness and interdependence
challenges to state control
international law
humanitarian intervention
forcible intervention
competing interpretations of whether these developments significantly reduce sovereignty
For higher marks, develop logical chains of reasoning linking each development to its effect on state authority.
Question 6
Indicative content may include:
sovereign states remain central political actors
international anarchy means there is no overarching global authority
global governance does not necessarily amount to world government
states remain central to international organisations and agreements
international law and regionalism can nevertheless place limits on independent decision making
growing global governance can therefore challenge sovereignty without necessarily eliminating it
A strong response should examine the significance of sovereignty rather than merely define it.
Question 7
A balanced response could develop the following argument.
Arguments supporting the view:
Sovereignty remains the defining authority of the nation-state.
Realism regards sovereign states as the key actors in global politics.
International anarchy means there is no overarching political authority above states.
Global governance can operate through co-operation between states rather than replacing them.
Arguments challenging the view:
Globalisation produces widening and deepening interconnectedness.
International law can challenge unrestricted state authority.
Human-rights governance and humanitarian intervention create conflicts with sovereignty.
Regionalism and supranational decision making may transfer or pool political authority.
International organisations and non-state actors can increasingly influence global political outcomes.
Judgement: The strongest answers should distinguish between sovereignty being constrained and sovereignty disappearing. Globalisation, international law and regionalism create substantial limits on completely unrestricted state action, but the specification continues to place sovereign states at the centre of major debates about power, international anarchy and global governance. A justified conclusion should decide whether these developments fundamentally replace sovereign state authority or mainly modify the environment in which that authority operates.
Comments