- A nation is a group of people sharing a common identity, particularly of language, culture, race, and/or religion.
- A state is when a government exercises power over people permanently living in a clearly-defined territory.
- A nation-state is when a state governs over a single nation of people (e.g. France). By contrast, some states govern over multiple nations (e.g. Spain).

Wesleyan University

The following concepts are essential for understanding other concepts in comparative politics:
- The distinction between nations, states, and nation-states
- The difference between sovereignty, authority, and legitimacy
- The definition of a regime and the definition of different regime types

Foundational Concepts of Comparative Politics

Wikibooks contributors. (2021, June 2). Comparative Politics. Wikibooks. https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Comparative_Politics

Wikibooks - Comparative Politics

Nations, States, and Nation-states

- Sovereignty is the exercise of power over a given territory.
- Authority is the ability to exercise power, meaning that sovereign authority is the ability to exercise power over a given territory.
- Legitimacy is the normative recognition that someone should have authority over a given territory.

States may have a combination of sovereignty, legitimacy, and authority. A state may be a legitimate and sovereign authority if most actors within and outside the state recognize its ability and deservingness to rule over its territory. A government in exile may be recognized as the legitimate ruler of a territory, though they may not exercise any real power over their former country and therefore lack sovereign authority.


Sovereignty, Authority, and Legitimacy

A regime is the political system of a country, specifically the basic institutions that determine the rules by which a government functions. Comparative political scientists typically distinguish between democracies and autocracies (or authoritarian regimes), though they allow for considerations of hybrid regimes as well. 

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