The nation-state is a form of political organisation and a political ideal. As a political
organisation it is characterised by the overlapping bonds of citizenship and nationality,
meaning that the borders of the state coincide with the boundaries of the nation. Every
nation should therefore have a state, and one state should embrace the entire nation. As
a political ideal, the nation-state embodies the principle of national self-determination.
Nationalists believe that the nation-state has two main advantages. In the first place, it
offers the prospect of both cultural cohesion and political unity, making the nation-state
a uniquely stable political entity. Nationalists thus tend to view the nation-state as the
only viable unit of political rule. The virtues of stability and unity are particularly
stressed by conservative nationalists who are particularly concerned about the promise of
social cohesion and political order that is embodied in the sentiment of national
patriotism.
Second, the nation-state extends political freedom. It does this because
national statehood ensures self-government and democratic rule. Nation-states are
therefore independent entities, in which citizens can decide their own destiny regardless
of external factors and interference from beyond their borders. Nationalists have tended
to argue that the nation is the highest level at which meaningful democracy can operate,
suggesting that supranationalism must always be a threat to democracy and self government.
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