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The Evolution and Definition of theState as a Social Institution

  • Editors 

What is a state? The term has been defined and understood in various ways throughout history, reflecting the evolving nature of human society. Sir Harold Laski describes the modern state as “a territorial society divided into government and subjects, claiming within the allotted physical area a supremacy over all other institutions.” This concept has its roots in the ancient Greek notion of the ‘City-state’ and has evolved into what we now recognize as the nation-state. As a cent