State

The state is a set of institutions and agencies that has the authority to define and enforce collectively binding decisions on members of a society in the name of their common interest or general will. As noted by Max Weber, the state is distinct from other political entities by its system of legitimate domination based on rational-legal authority. The state possesses distinctive capacities that include, for example, the ability to raise taxes and the right to make decisions and laws that regulate the conduct of individuals and groups in society. The state can also be characterized by its distinctive political logic or governmentality that includes the maintenance of territorial sovereignty and the promotion of social solidarity and a national identity. Hence, the state includes a ...