Lesson Report:
**Title: Analyzing State Structures and Theories**
*Synopsis: Today’s class focused on understanding the concept of the state, its qualities, and different theoretical approaches explaining its existence and forms. The session’s objective was to foster a deeper understanding of the fundamental characteristics of a state, applying theoretical concepts to practical scenarios, and preparing for future discussions on state stability and regime structures.*
**Attendance:**
– 1 student absent: Arukia
**Topics Covered:**
1. **Review of Previous Lesson**
– Recap of the concept of the state and its qualities: sovereignty, public authority, legitimacy, coercion, and territoriality.
– Discussion about the influence of losing one of these qualities using Khadijah’s example – lack of sovereignty and its implications.
2. **Partner Activity: Analyzing State Qualities**
– Students paired up to explore the impact of losing one of the five state qualities on a hypothetical state.
– Examples discussed:
– Loss of legitimacy leading to lack of government functionality.
– Removal of coercion leading to lawlessness.
– Effects of losing sovereignty using real-world examples like Scotland.
3. **Theoretical Perspectives on the State**
– **Hegel’s Idealist State**: State as a moral institution, uniting individuals through mutual sympathy and ethical duty.
– **Functionalist State**: Managing conflict, distributing resources, and ensuring societal stability.
– **Organizational State**: Defined by set institutions collaborating for public order.
– **International State**: Defined in opposition to other states, focusing on security and territorial integrity.
4. **Forms of the State**
– Overview of different state forms including, Minimal, Developmental, Social Democratic, Collectivized, Totalitarian, and Religious states.
– Group activity analyzing how each state form values the five qualities. Examples:
– Minimal state focuses on security and economic rights.
– Developmental state prioritizes economic growth and strong public authority.
**Actionable Items:**
– **Urgent:**
– Ensure Roskin text is uploaded for next week’s reading assignment on regimes.
– **General Follow-up:**
– Address confusion over collectivized state qualities in next session.
– Allow more time for in-depth discussion on forms of the state.
– **Preparation for Next Class:**
– Introduction to regimes and their differences from states with new reading material.
– Students should reflect on how theoretical perspectives can shape practical governance efficacy.
Homework Instructions:
NO HOMEWORK. The professor mentioned that a planned homework assignment was canceled and replaced with an in-class partner activity: “the homework that was canceled” and “don’t worry, because we’re doing it now.”