States and Nations
What is a state? Give an example.
Basic organization of people into a political unit; "countries" are states.
What is a political exclave?
Part of a state that is separated from the rest of the country.
What is gerrymandering, and who does it benefit?
Manipulating district boundaries to favor one political party; benefits the party in power.
What is a nation? How is it different from a state?
Nation = group of people sharing common heritage and culture. Nations do not equal states.
The South China Sea issue represents what kind of boundary dispute?
Allocational Dispute
What are the two tactics most commonly used in gerrymandering?
Cracking and packing
What is a nation-state? Give an example. (150 pts)
What is a stateless nation? Give an example. (150 pts)
N-S = state occupied by a single nation (Japan and some Scandinavian states are close.
S N = nation does not have sovereignty over any state (Palestine, Kurds)
What are choke points and why do states want to control them?
Give three reasons that states may dispute borders or boundaries.
Definitional, locational, operational, allocational.
Briefly explain the process of colonization and decolonization in Africa.
Berlin Conference 1884: European powers take control of Africa forcibly, divide it into numerous colonies ("Scramble for Africa")
Post-WWII = Europe is broke, large push for nationalism in Africa leads to independence
What is a shatterbelt region? Give an example.
Region that is caught between external powers in conflict (like "Third World" countries during Cold War).
What is a unitary government? (200 pts)
What is a federal government? (200 pts)
Unitary = power centered at national level
Federal = power shared between national and regional governments
What is devolution, and how can it eventually lead to the process of balkanization?
Devolution = more power is given from central governments to regional governments
Balkanization = regional governments get enough power that they break away and form a new state
What three steps are required to establish a political boundary? Briefly explain each. (200 pts each = 600 total)
Define, Delineate, Demarcate.
Briefly explain the UN Law of the Sea. (300 pts)
What is an EEZ? (200 pts)
UNCLOS was adopted in 1983 to regulate maritime boundaries between states.
EEZ = exclusive economic zone up to 200 nautical miles from a state's coastline.