... A state is a human community that (successfully) claims the monopolyof the legitimate use of physical force within a given territory.

Max Weber
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The State is a human community that (successfully) claims the monopoly of the legitimate use of physical force within a given territory. The word “State” is derived from the Latin word “Statum,” meaning “a place.” The first European settlers in America used the term to refer to the territory they claimed for themselves and their families.

Source: The Vocation Lectures: Science As A Vocation/Politics As A Vocation

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