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IV. Evolution of the Contemporary Political Pattern
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| | Narration
Upon completion of this course, students should have a basic understanding of the reasons more than 200 "sovereign" states were established. This unit should briefly describe the development of the state idea in Europe and its diffusion to the rest of the world.
To read the narrative and see further sections under each listed heading, please see "More" below.
Territorial Assumptions Underlying the Nation-State Ideal
A useful starting point is the political pattern of the sixteenth to seventeenth centuries in western and central European.
Colonialism and Imperialism
There were two phases of large-scale colonialization. The first lasted from 1415 to 1800 and was dominated by trading companies except in Latin America. It was characterized by conquest, plunder, slavery, and annihilation of indigenous people.
Internal Political Boundaries and Arrangements
It is important to go beyond the simple presence of political territories to consider the ways in which the political organization of space influences the distribution of power and opportunity.
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