4.6 Internal and External Challenges to State Power

​4.6 Internal and External Challenges to State Power

By Isiah Jones

Poll

When a government becomes more powerful, does society become more stable—or more resistant?

• A) More stability

• B) More resistance

• C) Both (explain which comes first)

Open Ended

When a government becomes more powerful, does society become more stable—or more resistant?

A) More stability

B) More resistance

C) Both (explain which comes first)

Write 2–3 sentences defending your choice.

You must explain why people would obey OR resist authority.

No historical examples yet—think about modern governments, schools, or institutions.

🔑 Key Terms: Internal and External Challenges to State Power

• State Power — The ability of a government to control territory, enforce laws, extract taxes or labor, and maintain authority over its population.
  Serfdom — A labor system in which peasants were legally bound to land owned by nobles and forced to provide labor and taxes in exchange for protection.

• Internal Challenges — Resistance movements that originate within a state’s own population and threaten government authority.

• External Challenges — Resistance or threats to a state’s power coming from outside groups, including rival states or colonized peoples.

• Rebellion — An organized attempt by a group to resist or overthrow authority due to political, economic, or social grievances.

Multiple Choice

Which situation best represents an internal challenge to state power?

• Civil unrest or protests against government policies.
• Government support for economic growth.
• International treaties affecting trade.
• Military expansion to enhance security.

Multiple Choice

Which example would MOST likely be considered an external challenge to state power?

• A public protest against local policies.
• A natural disaster affecting the economy.
• A military invasion by another country.
• A political scandal within the government.

Multiple Choice

Why did stronger states between 1450–1750 often experience more rebellions?

• Stronger states had fewer rebellions due to effective governance and stability.
• Weaker states faced more rebellions from external threats and invasions.
• Stronger states encouraged rebellions through increased military presence and support.
• Centralization disrupted traditional power structures and rights

Multiple Choice

Which pair BEST shows how resistance could take different forms depending on location?

• European nobles and enslaved Africans

• Merchants and monarchs

• Colonized Indigenous peoples and rural peasants

• Religious leaders and military officers

Today’s Independent Work

Purpose

Today you will work independently to analyze how efforts to strengthen state power created resistance and to evaluate whether resistance weakened or reshaped empires.​
Step 1: Independent Reading & Annotation
📖 Read the assigned text silently and independently.
As you read, annotate for CAUSE & EFFECT:
Underline government actions or policies meant to increase state power (examples: taxation, land control, religious enforcement, labor systems, military expansion)
Highlight the responses or rebellions that followed In the margin, label: CAUSE → EFFECT Internal or External challenge Your goal is to track how power created pushback.

Today’s Independent Work

Step 2: Written Analysis — Short Response

✍️ Answer in complete sentences. Use specific evidence from the text.

Analyze Cause & Effect

How did government policies meant to strengthen state power unintentionally cause rebellions?

• Identify at least one policy

• Explain why people resisted

• Connect the policy directly to the rebellion

Today’s Independent Work

Step 3: Argumentation — Claim & Evidence

✍️ Write a short paragraph (5–7 sentences).

Argumentation Question

Did resistance movements ultimately weaken empires, or did they force states to become stronger and more centralized?

Your response must include:

• A clear claim (choose ONE side)

• At least two pieces of evidence from the reading

• An explanation of how your evidence supports your claim

Open Ended

Analyze Cause & Effect:

How did government policies meant to strengthen state power unintentionally cause rebellions?

Open Ended

Argumentation:

Did resistance movements ultimately weaken empires, or did they force states to become stronger and more centralized? Defend your claim with evidence.