We explain what sovereignty is, its history and its relationship with power. Also, the characteristics of each type of sovereignty.
What is sovereignty?
In political science and international law, sovereignty is understood to mean the sum of the supreme and unlimited political power possessed by a State independent and that gives it the necessary authority to autonomously make its own decisions at all levels. This authority traditionally resides in the nation, the people or the State itself, and is contained in the National Constitution.
The term sovereignty comes from the Latin word superusand the French voice souverainetéoriginally conceived as “supreme power.” It was a useful term in the transition from feudalism to nationalism, in the 16th century, to justify the imposition of the French king's power over rebellious feudal lords.
Its contemporary meaning comes from the English philosopher Thomas Hobbes (1588-679), in whose work it is stated that some person or group of people must, within each State, hold the absolute power to declare the law. Dividing this power, according to the philosopher, would be equivalent to dividing the State.
This should not be interpreted today as a plea in favor of authoritarianism or the absolutism typical of the Old Monarchic Regime. On the contrary, as the French philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778) explained when speaking of the social contract, every form of State consists of the transfer of the power of self-determination of the people to their government.
In this way, governments exercise that power to provide well-being to the population, as well as common protection. Following this principle, the French Constitution of 1793 established that “sovereignty resides in the people.”
Similarly, Every State is understood as sovereign empowered to make his own decisions for himself, without being subordinate to anyone else for reasons of colonization or dependency. This implies that no one can make decisions for a sovereign State regarding its internal aspects.
Types of sovereignty
We can talk about types of sovereignty, depending on the aspect of political power in question, for example:
- Political sovereignty. That which has to do with the internal political organization of a State, which is determined by the rules of its Constitution.
- Economic or financial sovereignty. When it refers to the determination of the economic rules of the system of a nation or country, or the management of its economic assets and the administration of its finances.
- Food sovereignty. Refers to the ability of a State to produce its own food and feed its people without depending on third parties.
- Technological sovereignty. It is what has to do with the capacity of a State to produce or manage the technology necessary for its operations without requiring third parties.
- Military sovereignty. The one referring to the management of the armed forces of a nation and the defense of its territorial limits.
Continue with: Territory
References
- “Sovereignty” on Wikipedia.
- “Sovereignty” in the Legal Spanish Dictionary of the Royal Spanish Academy.
- “Types of sovereignty” in Economipedia.
- “Sovereignty” in Legal Encyclopedia.
- “Sovereignty” in The Encyclopaedia Britannica.
