Chapter 8 in a nutshell

• Where are states?– Problems of definition?– Development of the state concept– Geopolitical theories

• Why do boundaries cause problems?– Shapes – This is mostly rubbish.– Types– Boundaries inside of states - gerrymandering– Political Fragmentation

• Cooperation between states– Political, Economic, Military

• Terrorism

State as an organism

• Friedrich Ratzel – influenced by social Darwinism

• States grow by population expansion• States grow by absorbing smaller units• The frontier reflects strength and growth, it

is not permanent

• This has endured: Geopolitics stems from the interaction of power and territory.

State as an idea

• Political idea, political movement, political area

• Israel:– Balfour Declaration of 1917– 1920: 60000 Jews, 600000 Arabs– 1947: 600000 Jews, 1.1 million Arabs– Britain announced intent to withdraw– Independence in 1948 by U.N.

Lenin’s geopolitics

• Why hasn’t the revolution predicted by Marx occurred?

• Lenin’s answer: imperialism– Colonies are outlets for capital investment

• They provide sources of raw materials and captive markets for goods

– Profits from imperialism allow workers allow higher wages in homelands

• Imperialism leads to a spatial transfer of class struggle– From within state to international– North-South Divide

Israel Growth

Heartland Theory

• Halford Mackinder

• East Europe -> Heartland -> World-Island -> World

• Decreasing importance of UK

• Fear of Germany-USSR alliance

East/West Divide

• Communist vs Non-Communist• Domino Theory

– Korea, Vietnam

• Sea containment of USSR– Control key maritime “chokepoints”– Cape of Good Hope, Panama, Suez,

Malaccan Strait, Bosporus,…

Pakistan

• British view: – Religion was single-most important identity– Partition inevitable

• Creation of Pakistan– Paki – “pure”– Acronym of ethnicities/territories

• Muslim nationalism arose during 1930s– Hoped to preserve majority in Pakistan and

Bangladesh

Pakistan: A created nation

Problems

• Kashmir and India

• Shiite v Sunni

• Minorities

• Tribes vs Gov’t

• Poverty

• War on Terror vs US

Nationalism Debates

• Which comes first, the nation or the state?• Why do some cultures consider

themselves to possess a national identity, while others do not?

• Is nationalism latent, or actively created?• Self-determination vs. rights of minorities• What does the future look like with

transnationalism?

Gerrymandering

• Redrawing legislative boundaries for the purpose of benefiting a particular party

Gerrymandering I

Florida’s 20th. Has elected Democrat Reps. since at least 1992. Democrat nominees have run unopposed several times

Gerrymandering 2

1992 1997 1998

2007

The 12th has historically been Black and Democrat. It is today about 50/50, but still Democrat

Gerrymandering

Typed of Districts• Stacked: Encompass pockets of support. • Packed: Concentrate opposition leaders into

“sacrificial” districts• Cracked: Fragments opponents to have no

majority

Historically, cities with small African American populations have been cracked, cities with large populations have been packed and cracked.

Political Fragmentation in Cities

Political districts in Boulder County

Boulder County, City of Boulder, Boulder ValleySchool District, Regional Transportation District, University Hill General Improvement District, Boulder Urban RenewalAuthority, Boulder Regional Emergency Telephone Service Authority, Denver Metropolitan Scientific and Cultural Facilities District, Central Area General Improvement

District, Boulder Valley Conservation District, Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District, Baseline

Water District, Boulder County/Gunbarrel General Improvement District, Cherryvale Fire Protection District, East

Boulder County Water District, Four Mile Fire Protection District, Sunshine Fire Protection District, City of Boulder Forest Glen Transit Pass

General Improvement District, Boulder Municipal Property Authority

...

Consequences of Political Fragmentation

• Special Districts are not subject to municipal legal and financial controls.– Want to create more taxes or issue more

debt? Then create a special district to do it for you.

• “Stealth” government• Makes it difficult to see “big picture”• Often leads to inequality