Theories of State Formation

For this week’s assignment, we will be focusing on the state. As Dickovick and Eastwood emphasize, “[i]t is impossible to understand modern politics without understanding the state.” While there are other non-state “actors” in global politics – such as international organizations, multi-national corporations, transnational terrorist organizations, etc. – the nation-state remains the dominate and foundational political organization and the focus of modern political activity. Historians and international relations scholars date the birth of modern nation-state to 1648, when the Treaty of Westphalia ended the Thirty Years War. The outcome of that treaty resulted in the emergence of the first modern nation-states. The number of nation-states has grown steadily over the past 370 years and today there are over 190 nation-states. In recent years, countervailing dynamics have called into question the future of the nation-state. On the one hand, globalization and movements towards regional integration – notably the European Union (EU) – have led some to predict the end of the nation-state system. On the other hand, nationalist and secessionist movements are spreading and growing in number. The bottom line is that a strong case can be made that predictions of the nation-states’ demise are premature. Nationalism is a powerful force in our world and the nation-state will likely remain the dominant force in modern politics for many years to come.
Your assignment for Week 3 focuses on theories of state formation. Our reading assignments this week explore several theories that attempt to explain state formation. You are to focus on the following questions: “To what extent do any of these theories explain the formation of the United States? As we see with economic theories, worldviews, such as the Marxist worldview, can have a substantial influence on these theories. How might the Judeo-Christian worldview affect the analysis of the formation of the United States?”

Book To read
1. Dickovick & Eastwood (2019): Chapter 3 (Comparative Politics: Integrating Theories, Methods, and Cases. 3rd. Ed., Oxford University Press, 2019. ISBN: 9780190854867.) MAIN BOOK OF THE COURSE

2. Dickovick & Eastwood (2017): Chapter 3 (Comparative Politics: Classic and Contemporary Readings 1st Ed., Oxford University Press, 2017. ISBN: 9780199730957.

3. Martin, Glenn. Prevailing Worldviews of Western Society Since 1500. Triangle Publishing, Newton, MA, 2006. ISBN: 9781931283168.

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