International Relations Today, 2nd Edition

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Basic Concepts

State as an Actor in International Relations

The concept of ‘state’ is very important in the study of International Relations (IR). The subject of IR, in the traditional view, deals with the interaction among independent sovereign states. As the most important political institution in the society, the concept of the state has always attracted the attention of scholars—from ancient times to the present day. It has often been analysed by scholars from different—albeit sometimes contradictory—perspectives. But its basic identities remained largely unaltered. A state is a definite geographical territory comprising people who are politically organized and pay obedience to its authority. The modern idea of the nation-state is believed ...