Check out ☑ top 10 types of sovereignty in politics

macfranc007 October 25, 2017 Nigeria News today & Breaking news ▷ Read Nigerian newspapers 24/7 George Ibenegbu

Sovereignty is a word that describes power and independence! But what is the true meaning of sovereignty and why does it concern almost every country in the world? This post will tell you all you need to know about sovereignty.

What is sovereignty?

Sovereignty is connected with the power of governing bodies; it refers to their full right of power without the interference of outside sources. A sovereign body has supreme and unchallengeable power over its subjects! The definition of sovereignty in politics is the dominant principle of the Westphalian model of state foundation.

Concept of Sovereignty in Political Science

The concept of sovereignty have been a matter of discussion throughout the whole course of human history. Almost every philosopher in every century of our history had his/her vision of sovereignty and how it can be applied in the control of the states. This control can be executed in many ways, and modern political scientists have divided the concept of sovereignty into different types. Let us take a look at the top 10 types of sovereignty.

Top 10 Types of Sovereignty

1.Titular

This type of sovereignty is also called nominal sovereignty. Its theory stipulates that any state or institution functioning under it has full power over its governance; but this is not entirely true. In this condition, the real state power may belong to a number of other institutions or even people. The best example for this type of sovereignty can be seen in England, where a monarch is the Titular Sovereign, but the actual power belongs to the parliament.

2. Real

This describes a situation where a state's sovereignty power is executed by a single institution or individual. A good example is the case of the British Queen who has titular sovereignty over her country. However, the real sovereignty in this case belongs to the parliament.

3. Legal

Legal sovereignty is provided to a state, institution or person according to the rules of the constitution; the constitution safeguards the sovereign body from unlawful acts. The legal sovereignty laws are final and can`t be questioned. For instance, The Great Britain Parliament is empowered by the constitution of the Great Britain.

4. Political

Political sovereignty comes before the legal type of sovereignty. The political system of a country represents its sovereignty views. For instance, even if the real and legal power belongs to a president or parliament, the political sovereignty is provided to the people; a good example is the case of America where the parliament and president are elected by votes. In the same manner, institutions and real sovereign leaders can be kicked out by the political power of the people!

5. Popular

This is one good example of the direct democracy of the masses. In this particular situation, the real power is provided to every citizen of a country. If there is no corruption, no cheating and equality among the citizens, then the most popular of them gets the popular sovereignty. This situation can be witnessed in Ancient Greece, where the rulers were elected according to their popularity amongst the population.

6. Dejure

The Dejure sovereignty is protected and empowered by constitutions and laws. The power of the Dejure sovereign is recognized by the state and constitution, therefore, it has the authority to execute orders and state new laws. The states that have the Dejure sovereignty are internationally recognized. It also means that these states can collaborate with other countries.

7. De-Facto

In this particular situation, the state power is exercised by individuals or institutions with real power; it can be used as a temporary measure in a country during periods when the government's power is unstable. Usually, in such cases, the new government may not be recognized in the international arena. Nonetheless, they will still possess sovereignty for the execution of power.

8. Absolute Sovereignty

Absolute sovereignty is provided by an absolute power of a state or institution. This power should not be restricted or limited by any constitution or law and the international law acknowledges the sovereignty of the state in every area. Absolute sovereignty embodies and empowers the enforcement of laws over the lives of the citizens. For instance, in states with absolute sovereignty, the government of the country carries out duties that are connected to every aspect of his citizens` lives.

9. Internal Sovereignty

Internal sovereignty can be described as the relationships between the sovereign state and its inner states. It also shows a question of rights and legitimacy of the central government power. Sovereignty means holding supreme power, but at the same time there is still the question of what kind of supremacy should be given to the inner states, and secondly, how much autonomy should be given to the states? These questions are usually addressed by the constitution of the state.

10. External Sovereignty

The external sovereignty is connected with the question of international law. It usually concerns the relationship between the sovereign powers of different countries. Therefore, the external sovereignty denies any type of subordination of one country over another. At the same time, the international laws are acknowledged by all the countries of the world, but some of the countries prefer to not follow them.

By now you should already know that Sovereignty is a complex term which refers to several different concepts, as explained in this article. Politics is a wonderful science which can give you a lot of interesting concepts to analyze, and Sovereignty happens to be one of them.