State

A state is a political organization exercising authority over a defined territory and the people living within it. It possesses institutions that make law, enforce law, and collect taxation. States typically claim the right to use force based on law within their own borders.

The term 'state' has two related meanings: one refers to the country as a whole (for example, a member of the United Nations), and another refers only to governmental institutions, distinguished from civil society and the private market.

Characteristics of statehood

Common understandings require that a state must have defined territory, a permanent population, an administration capable of exercising control, and the capacity to conduct relations with other states. These characteristics were codified in international legal treaties in the twentieth century, though state recognition by other states remains important in practice.

Division of powers

Most states divide authority into three branches: the legislature (parliament or assembly), the executive (president, prime minister, and ministries), and the judiciary (courts). This division is intended to enable each branch to check the others, preventing power from becoming concentrated in one place.

Forms of organization

Regarding the internal distribution of power, states are classified as unitary, where authority is concentrated in the capital, or federal, where regional governments hold constitutional powers. Regarding how leaders are selected, there are presidential systems, parliamentary systems, and hybrid models.

Standard functions

States manage security and defense, establish commercial and property law, and provide public services such as education, healthcare, and infrastructure. In fiscal matters, they operate systems of taxation, borrowing, and resource revenue, and conduct monetary policy where they have a central bank.