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State Building

Definition

State building refers to the process of constructing or structuring a national state. This involves the development of governmental institutions, creating a bureaucracy, establishing an organized legal system, and maintaining an army.

Analogy

Think of state building like constructing a complex Lego set. You start with individual pieces (institutions), follow instructions (laws and regulations) to assemble them into different parts (departments), and finally put all these parts together to form a complete structure (the state).

Related terms

Sovereignty: The supreme authority within a territory. It's like being the boss in your own house - you make the rules.

Bureaucracy: A system of government where decisions are made by state officials rather than elected representatives. It's like having managers in different departments at work who make decisions for their respective areas.

Nation-State: A political entity consisting of people who share common cultural background within defined geographical boundaries with its own sovereign government. It's like your school sports team - everyone shares common goals, follows certain rules, and works under one coach.