State sovereignty is the principle that a state has supreme political and legal authority within its territory and is not legally subordinate to another state. It therefore supports a state's independence, although independence does not mean complete freedom from external influence or international obligations.
The Meaning of State Sovereignty
Sovereignty is a prescribed core topic for both SL and HL Global Politics. It has two connected dimensions:
| Dimension | Meaning | Contemporary example |
|---|---|---|
| Internal sovereignty | The state has the highest authority to make and enforce laws within its territory. | The French state can legislate, collect taxes, and enforce criminal law throughout France. |
| External sovereignty | Other states should recognize the state's political independence and territorial integrity. | Ukraine remains an internationally recognized sovereign state despite Russia's invasion beginning in February 2022. |
A state's independence follows mainly from external sovereignty. It means that foreign governments have no lawful right to govern the state, seize its territory, or dictate its domestic policies. Russia's attempt to annex Ukrainian territory demonstrates how military power can challenge sovereignty without automatically removing Ukraine's legal status or international legitimacy.
However, sovereignty is not unlimited control. States voluntarily accept restrictions through treaties and international organizations because they are interdependent. European Union members, for example, follow common European Union rules in agreed policy areas, but they retain statehood and participate in those institutions through treaties. The United Kingdom's withdrawal from the European Union in 2020 also showed that membership was not equivalent to foreign rule.
A common misconception is that a sovereign state must be completely self-sufficient. In reality, sovereignty means possessing ultimate legal authority, not being isolated from trade, international law, alliances, or global institutions.
Exam Technique
In an IB response, distinguish internal from external sovereignty and explain that legal sovereignty may differ from effective control. Apply the concept to a specific contemporary case, then connect it to power, legitimacy, or interdependence rather than giving only a definition.
