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The Theory Of Self Determination Essay

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The idea of national self-determination is beneficial to those living in a nation-state, however, the prerequisites required to make it available to many is too difficult to attain. Nation-states are said to be the ideal regime: a system by the people, for the people. However, things in theories do not always work out in practice. In this paper, I will explore concepts regarding self-determination through its definitions, origins, theories, and practices, following with a number of complications that restrict practical use and potential reasons of why the idea of self-determination may be impractical to use on a global scale.
What is national self –determination and where did it originate? In order to answer this critical question, one must understand the concepts of nations, states, and nation-states. The two terms nations and states are often used as synonyms, when in fact, they are two completely distinct concepts. As introduced in our text, Introduction to politics and government, by Eric Mintz, David Close, Osvaldo Croci (2016), a state is defined as an independent, “self-governing political community” that has the power to create rules that are “binding on the population” (p. 26). The three elements of a state include territory, a population, and sovereignty (which will be discussed in greater detail later). These are defining elements of; a state must have territory (land for its community), a population residing within that territory (no matter how few), it must

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