Some Thoughts on Statehood (Part 2: Why be a State?)

In part 1, we discussed what makes something a state. Now, we will explore why being a state is important in today's world. For newly forming states, international recognition of their existence is one of its primary concerns in establishing itself long term. But what is it about being a state makes it so attractive that it is so dearly coveted?

Let us consider again what it means to be a state. A state is an entity that has high authority within its territory(s) and typically has the means of maintaining (protecting) its status as the primary jurisdictional power. As such, it would be a fair assumption that said entity would not vanish overnight in a power struggle, at least not over night. Given that international trade and cooperation is contingent upon predictability and stability, such a trait in an entity would be desirable (one of the tenants of international trade agreements is in conformity of trade laws and regulations, which lower the potential cost to transactions and reduce the risk of unpredictability in change to regulatory laws). It goes without saying that any modern state requires international trade to prosper as it opens up new markets, resources, and goods that the state otherwise would not have under a self sufficiency principle. Furthermore, inclusion into larger international organizations such as the UN opens up access to various preexisting trade agreements that apply to member states.

In similar fashion to trade, maintaining diplomatic ties is contingent on the stability of the entities in question. If the primary provider of authority within a given region were to change regularly, it would make little sense to maintain diplomatic ties when the efforts and political capital expended could become for naught over night. And again, diplomatic agreements are often benefits granted by inclusion into larger international organizations (the North Atlantic Treaty, leading to the creation of NATO, says the following in Article 4, "The Parties will consult together whenever, in the opinion of any of them, the territorial integrity, political independence or security of any of the Parties is threatened.").

Now, it should be clear why being internationally recognized as a state is such an important status that is crucial for the development and growth of an entity. Without proper recognition, a state will lack the proper access to trade and thus hampering its potential for economic growth, and without proper channels for recourse when facing incursion by hostile forces.