What Do State Do? Essay

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Max Weber defined state as "a human community that (successfully) claims the monopoly of the legitimate use of physical force within a given territory whether that legitimacy derives from charisma, tradition, or law" (Hokim 2012). Weber held that domination of people being ruled by a ruler is an unavoidable political fact. His vision for democracy in Germany was a political marketplace where charismatic rulers are elected by winning votes in free competition, whether in struggle or not. He saw localized, public associational life as the breeding ground of charismatic rulers.

Weber suggested that social pluralism should be the sociocultural ground for political education of lay citizens, which requires an organized civil society. He also suggested that the political education should contain ethics in conviction and responsibility. The political ethics also involved value-freedom and value-relativism.

Under Weber's definition, North Korea under Kim Jong-il, after American invasion or Cambogia under the Khmer Rouge does not fit the definition of a state. Kim Jong-il ruled North Korea under a totalitarian rule where no individual freedom is permitted and all aspects of individual life are subordinate to government authority (totalitarism 2013). Totalitarian rule is an absolute and oppressive single party government characterized by a strong central rule.

"Many observers list Jong-il's government as the world's most authoritarian regime with him as near-absolute control" (Norman 2011).

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Weber's definition is based on legitimacy. The absolute control questions the legitimacy of the North Korean government. The authoritarian regime does not support political ethics, especially where value-freedom and value-relativism is involved. Where the North Korean people were absolutely ruled by Jong-il, there was no freedom for free competition in the economy. The oppression of the government took away the rights of the people to decide how they felt about living and working. The people were only allowed to think, feel, and do what the government allowed them to do.

As a result of no freedom being allowed to the citizens, North Korea suffered mass poverty and rampant corruption at the hands of the government. There were allegations against Kim Jong-il of orchestrating foreign kidnappings of exiled North Koreans and maintaining 20 concentration camps to torture people who did not follow his rule. This is opposite of Weber's definition that involves the social pluralistic society.

The authoritarian society concentrates power and decision making to a few….....

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