Midterm Exam Assignment 1
Mid Term Exam Assignment
Name: Farhat Mir
Liberty University
INTL 500
Professor: David Holt
Date: November 17th, 2025
Final Essay Assignment
2
Abstract
In this essay I will write about the States, sovereign states and their responsibilities towards
their citizens. I will explain how sovereign states work and protect their sovereignty by
protecting their borders and fighting the enemies internally and externally. I will discuss how
sovereign states maintain their control, governments and territorial security. I will also discuss
the role of international organizations like the United Nation, International non-governmental
organizations, and regional organizations like the European Union, North Atlantic Treaty
Organization and regional separatist groups like Iraqi Kurds etc. All these entities play their role
in transnational crime prevention and partnerships and multiple states which are the members
of these organizations work together for the peace and prosperity in the world. These
International and national organizations play a major role in resolving the conflicts between
different nations and bring all the stakeholder to the table for a peaceful and productive
resolution. They work towards
world peace and human rights. “A State is an independent, sovereign
government exercising control over a certain spatially defined and bounded area, whose borders are usually
clearly defined and internationally recognized by other states” (Rock, 2016).
The sovereign state has full control over the territory and forms their own government.
Sovereign states have their own clear and defined borders and the state defends and controls its
territory within those borders. Sovereign states are recognized by other state governments
through diplomatic ties, treaties and passports. Sovereign states have their own bureaucracies
which are composed of government officials and elected officials. Sovereign states have their
own laws, rules and regulations inside their territories and they implement those laws with the
Final Essay Assignment
3
help of their law enforcement agencies. Sovereign states control their economy, taxation and
citizenship through their government. Every sovereign state has their own ways to control and
secure their borders and homeland security. They deploy economic resources, government
legitimacy, institutional strength and geopolitical environment. Every state has to stay within
their resources and economy and they design their country's geo-political situation based on
their economic growth and stability. States which are economically stable their priority is their
sovereignty and homeland security thus they spend most of the budget in their security /
defense. These states have larger tax bases which allow them to increase in public spending and
military expenses. The booming economy of these States provides resources for updated
military equipment, hardware and pay for their soldiers. These States spend their money in
research on public safety and defense technologies. Transparent governance, accountability,
rule of law, efficient tax collection guarantees the effective allocation of these resources and
correct spending. “The world has now marked a decade of rising military spending, with the
global total now standing at a record breaking $2.7 trillion annually. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine
prompted a dramatic increase in European Union (EU) military spending, and between 2021 and
2024, EU member states’ total military expenditure rose by more than 30%. In 2024, it reached
an estimated €326 billion – about 1.9% of EU GDP,2 almost reaching the NATO target of 2%
which is set to rise” (How Increasing Global Military Expenditure Threatens SDG 13 on Climate
Action - CEOBS, 2025). Rich States have global interests and assets and they understand the
need and how to protect their trade routes through a strong military and defense system.
There are different factors which are very essential to maintain a State’s sovereignty and ability
to provide safety and security to its citizens. States with a strong economy have more resources
Final Essay Assignment
4
to protect its citizens and to ensure that safety they spend more on public safety and border
protection. These states allocate large amounts of funds to strengthen their militaries, law
enforcement, justice system and social services which contribute towards public service and
safety. A legitimate and democratic government is imperative for a strong sovereign state and
these legitimate governments can maintain the rule of law and justice. State institutions like
public administration, law enforcement, border protection, and the justice system have a direct
impact on a State's security. It's very important for the sovereign States to have strong
institutions to maintain the law and order and provide protection to its citizens.
A State can never survive alone. States have their relationship with other States and they have
to maintain these ties for global peace, prosperity and stability. Based on the geopolitical
location some states are more vulnerable to the national and global threats from their
neighboring States whereas other States can be very strong due to reliable ties with their
neighbors. Every State faces internal and external security threats and based on these threats
States have to design their own security protocols. Some States have their internal problems
which can be political, social, economic and separatism whereas others have armed conflicts,
terrorism, civil unrest and organized crimes.
There are States which are economically and socially weak, poor and unstable. The main factors
for these nations' weaker economies are corruption, lack of resources, weak justice system and
poor law and order situation. Due to their weak economy these States have to spend their funds
more towards the health care and education sector and less towards their safety and security.
These weaker States have weak institutions and lack of popular support which makes them
vulnerable to terrorism and civil unrest. Weak Stats have weaker public administration, poor
Final Essay Assignment
5
justice system, bad public safety/ security which leads to public distrust and frustration causing
several dangerous problems in the society. These Stats deal with several internal issues like
unemployment, organized crimes, insurgencies, civil and political unrest, unreliable public safety
and poor infrastructure.
“Human security plays a crucial role by holding power accountable, preventing violent crime,
and providing fair avenues to resolve conflicts. This type of security is defined by the United
Nations as freedom from fear, freedom from want, and a life with dignity. It involves addressing
not only physical needs but also emotional well-being to combat the fragments and trauma
caused by violence in our world” (School, 2024). There are Transnational Intergovernmental
and Nongovernmental Organizations like the United Nations and International non-
governmental organizations with the authority to engage in peace keeping and maintaining
human rights efforts around the world. The United Nations plays a major role in negotiations
through their member states' representatives to negotiate treaties and influence international
policies. During conflicts between two or more nations, the United Nations plays a major role in
bringing all the stakeholders together to start the dialogues to come to a resolution. It serves as
a global platform for all the member States and plays a key role in the issues of peace, stability,
security and development. The United Nations has a global partnership with nongovernmental
organizations and they are always included in policy making. The United Nations not only works
on the conflict, it has several projects for the poor/weak third world countries where they
partner with the non-government organization and work in the social sector to help the citizens
of these countries in multiple social , environmental, education, health and infrastructure
sectors. United Nations projects help educate and empower people in poor countries and
Final Essay Assignment
6
provide them the resources and the avenues to become stable and able to provide food and
shelter to their families.
There are national and international non-governmental organizations which work for human
rights, justice, poverty elevation, health and education sectors. These non-governmental
organizations (NGOs) work on policy making and their advocacy groups provide technical
analysis and expertise to hold the governments accountable to their public. NGOs work on a
gross root level and they work as conduits between the local sector partners and international
policy makers. United Nations partnership with these local NGOs in different countries helps in
implementing its project and policies in different countries. The United Nations provides funding
to the countries through these projects and it goes to these NGOs and with these funds they
help the local communities.” Nongovernmental Organizations helped found the United Nations
and have partnered with the UN ever since. The UN Charter has arrangements for UN
consultations with NGOs described in the Economic and Social Council in Article 71. The UN
partners with civil society to advance its ideals and support its work over a wide range of fields,
which is elaborated on in Economic and Social Council Resolution 1996/31 (page 53)” (Church,
n.d.). The United Nations helps in humanitarian missions around the world through these non-
governmental parents and provides assistance during natural and manmade disasters. NGOs
involve local activists to work with them to raise awareness and campaigns on various social
issues. The United Nations work on a broader level whereas NGOs have specific sectors and
based on their specialties they choose the sector like health, environment, education, human
rights, gender related issues and social justice.
Final Essay Assignment
7
Where transnational intergovernmental and nongovernmental organizations play a major role in
internal relations, public safety, development, peace, security and conflict resolution there are
several regional organizations which focus on regional issues. These regional organizations are
intergovernmental organizations which are created by the sovereign States within a specific
geographical region having members from the member countries. The role of these member
countries is to achieve regional cooperation, collaboration and integration. These organizations
often have different levels of integration and decision-making powers, ranging from purely
consultative to more binding agreements among member states. Along with several others,
these regional organizations include the European Union and North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
These organizations play a key role in maintaining regional peace and stability. In case of a
threat, disaster and terrorism event these organizations play a major role in coordinating the
resources and maintaining the communication between the partners and gathering and
allocating the resources. Every Member State has the responsibility of security of their own
country but they have a joint mission to collaborate during big events of disasters and terrorism.
Every Member State has its own political agendas and international diplomatic policies which
they implement and at times it becomes challenging to get the favorable mission done. The
European Union has a single market for all the European member countries and they have visa
free entry for all the member countries' citizens which is called the Schengen zone. These
countries conduct trade deals as a block and their labor laws and policies are very easy for all
the citizens of member countries to work across the border without any problem and
complicated work visa process. The monetary policy of the European Union is managed by a
Final Essay Assignment
8
central entity European central bank and national banks of every country, which together have a
euro system and they make their economic decisions without any outside influence.
“Over the past decade, a spate of ethno-separatist movements, many of them in post-
communist regions, have challenged the authority of pre-existing nation-states while attempting
to redraw national boundaries to accommodate the creation of new, independent states. This
recent wave of ethno-separatism is distinctive in one important regard: although the groups
involved draw upon Westphalian conceptions of state sovereignty to advance or defend their
claims, many of the ultimate resolutions to the conflicts appear to call into question the
principles of traditional state sovereignty and federal norms” (Introduction: Sovereignty and the
Resolution of EthnoSeparatist Conflict, 2025). There are regional Ethno groups around the globe
in different countries and they have their own rhetoric they work on and try to achieve their
goal. They are groups of separatists who work on regional independence movements and
demand greater autonomy based on their shared ethnic, cultural, linguistic, or historical
identity. Every region in Africa, Asia, North America and Europe have several separatist groups
and they run their own movements based on their ideologies and motives. Sovereign States do
not recognize these separatists and their movements and they don’t get to have control over
State’s resources. Due to State’s control over the territory and its resources these separatist
groups have limited resources thus their security is not very strong and effective. These
separatists often fight with the state machinery and they start conflicts and fights within a
territory making civilian citizens' security at risk. These separatist some time become a proxy of
other States who have bad intentions and want to weaken the country through these
separatists. The separatist’s movements are funded nationally and internationally by other
states.
Final Essay Assignment
9
In Pakistan there are several separatist groups actively working and fighting against the
government and establishment. The most prominent examples of regional Ethno separatist
groups in Pakistan are the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) in Baluchistan, which advocates for an
independent Baloch state and has targeted Chinese investments and fight for the people of
Sindh and demand a separate state for the people of Baluchistan and Sindh provinces.
Baluchistan
Liberation Army is a group of separatist militants who demand a separate state for the people of
Baluchistan province. The Baluchistan Liberation Army group gets millions of foreign funding to
fight against the Pakistani military and have been killing military personnel for years. They attack
military establishments, officials, infrastructures, foreign international Commission on
Intervention and State Sovereignty
Acknowledging that States formally recognized by most other States enjoy legitimacy as
Sovereign actors, explain the limits and possibilities of sovereignty as a factor inProducing safety
and security for citizens.
Within a state sovereignty is the supreme power and it established the framework for public
safety and security. Sovereignty provides a state a legitimacy to protect its citizens from internal
threats and crimes and maintain the law and order with the help of law enforcement and
protect the homeland from external threats and enemies. A State’s sovereignty always faces
both internal and external threats. A State’s sovereignty provides the unique ability and
responsibility to safeguard their citizens through several key mechanisms. Sovereign States elect
their officials to create laws through their law makers and enforce those laws through their
Final Essay Assignment
10
justice system. This helps the sovereign states to maintain the law and order and protect the
citizens. Sovereign States enable the use of force for their military and law enforcement to fight
internal and external threats and enemies. Law enforcement agencies are responsible to
maintain the law and order, fight crime and protect the citizens whereas the military protects
the borders and ensures homeland security. Sovereignty gives authority to the States to control
and protect their borders, immigration and protect their territory from organized transnational
crime and terrorism.
The modern world is very complex and the problems are full of complexities, due to these
reasons States cannot work alone without collaboration from other States. A lot of Sovereign
States have threats like cyber threats, transnational crimes, climate change and pandemics.
There is not a single sovereign State which can deal with all these problems without cooperation
from other partner States. Cooperation and collaboration between the State and State entities
enhance the safety and security of all the States. There are international laws and all sovereign
States work under the accountability of these laws like human rights conventions. Wherever
there are human rights violation international community raise voice and they can get sanctions
on the territory which is responsible of gross human rights violation and genocide. Global
economic recession can impact multiple States at the same time thus global economic
cooperation is the key for a joint success of all the partner States. In conclusion, sovereignty of a
State empowers states to be the primary guarantors of their citizens' safety and security from
internal and external threats and maintain homeland security, it does not guarantee the
indefinite shield against global challenges. For the sovereign State to ensure an effective security
and safety they must maintain a balance between sovereign authority and international
cooperation.
Final Essay Assignment
11
In moral basis social theory is based on an individual moral that they give consent to give up some
Freedoms in exchange of security and order from a sovereign authority. Key thinkers like Hobbes, Locke, and
Rousseau explored this idea, arguing that people leave a hypothetical "state of nature" To form a society with
laws, a government, and mutual obligations.
Romans 131-4 “Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that
which
God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. 2 Consequently,
Whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those
Who will bring judgment on themselves? (Romans 13:1-4 NIV - - Bible Gateway, n.d.) . This bible’s
Verse teaches us that authority is given by the God and resisting that authority means you are
Resisting God and those who resist will judge them.
Historically, to provide the development to the State and progress to the citizen’s life
Sovereign States emphasize economic growth. Modern sovereign States focus
On economic development, modernizing infrastructure, education, health sector, law and order,
Justice system to ensure a stable and successful path to its citizens.
Today’s modern world is a corporate world and with the rise of global economy
Final Essay Assignment
12
Transnational corporations, and NGOs has controlled over the state's control
Over its economy and information flow. For Sovereign states it’s important to maintain the public trust
Unfortunately due to increase in corruption, political victimization and polarization States
Have lost the public trust and States moral authority. Due to the digital age and advancement of
Technology the information and disinformation spreads instantly which empower non state actors who
Are ready to damage the state like separatists, terrorists, criminals and cybercriminals. Media and
Social media is helping to corrupt the new generation by creating a chaos and intolerance which is
Challenging the state’s authority.
Final Essay Assignment
13
References:
Rock, M. (2016). State, Nation and Nation-State: Clarifying Misused Terminology | GEOG 128: Geography of
International Affairs. Psu.edu. https://www.e-education.psu.edu/geog128/node/534
How increasing global military expenditure threatens SDG 13 on Climate action - CEOBS. (2025,
May 29). CEOBS. https://ceobs.org/how-increasing-global-military-expenditure-threatens sdg-
13-on-climate-action/
School, K. (2024, February 6). How Does Human Security Differ From National Security? Sandiego.edu;
University of San Diego. https://krocstories.sandiego.edu/peace/the-innovating peace-blog/how-does-human-
security-differ-from-national-security
Church, J. (n.d.). Library Guides: Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs): United Nations.
Guides.lib.berkeley.edu. https://guides.lib.berkeley.edu/c.php?g=496970&p=3401878
Introduction: Sovereignty and the Resolution of Ethno-Separatist Conflict. (2025). Upenn.edu.
https://www.sas.upenn.edu/penncip/Reports/MarchSil.htm
Romans 13:1-4 NIV - - Bible Gateway. (n.d.). Www.biblegateway.com.
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans%2013%3A1-4&version=NIV
Final Essay Assignment
14
