Understanding States and Sovereignty Icivics (the state)

What is a state?

• A body of people with the power to make and enforce laws

• A defined space with a government

• A group of citizens with their own cultural traditions

• A territory with set boundaries

What is the population of China?

• More than 1.3 billion

• Just over 860,000

• Around 7 million

• Less than 500,000

What does a state's territory refer to?

• The area in which a state's rule applies

• The population of a state

• The cultural traditions of a state

• The economic situation of a state

How do countries determine their boundaries?

• Through negotiations with other states

• By purchasing territory from other states

• By checking with a higher authority

• Through population growth

What is sovereignty?

• The ability to rule absolutely within a territory

• The power to decide a state's foreign policy

• The principle of equality among states

• The ability to purchase territory from other states

What is the purpose of the United Nations?

• To serve as a higher authority for states

• To interfere in the affairs of other states

• To enforce rules on sovereign states

• To protect populations from military force

What is a state's foreign policy?

• The kind of relationships a state will have with other states

• The ability to rule absolutely within a territory

• The principle of equality among states

• The power to decide how things will operate inside a state's boundaries

When can other states use military force to protect a population?

• When a state is unable to keep its population safe

• When there is a dispute over boundaries

• When a state purchases territory from another state

• When a state follows the UN's rules

What is the highest authority of a state?

• Its own organization or government

• The United Nations

• The population of the state

• The economic situation of the state

What are some features of a state's population?

• Variety of economic situations, cultural traditions, and common language

• Mainly rural or mostly urban

• Access to modern homes, running water, and latest technology

• Level of education achieved by most people