THE 10 MOST IMPORTANT CHARACTERISTICS OF SOVEREIGNTY - CULTURE VOCABULARY - 2025

The characteristics of sovereignty are permanence, exclusivity, total understanding, inalienability, unity, among others. It is said that a State is sovereign when it has total autonomy over itself; in other words, it is independent from other states.

The term sovereignty comes from the Latin word "superanus", which means supreme. Although the term is modern, the idea can be traced back to Ancient Greece, where thinkers believed in the supreme power of the state.

Today the State can be defined as "the supreme authority within a territory." It can have three dimensions: the sovereign, who is in charge of having sovereignty, the absoluteness of sovereignty, nobody is above it, and the internal aspects of it. The State is the political institution in which sovereignty is represented.

There are two aspects of sovereignty: internal sovereignty and external sovereignty. Internal sovereignty refers to a group of people from an independent state who have the legal authority to command and exercise obedience. This sovereignty exercises its authority over all individuals within the State.

External sovereignty refers to the fact that the State is independent from other States and that it is not subject to other authorities. For example, each independent state reserves the right and authority to renounce treaties or enter into military agreements.

Likewise, each independent state has the freedom to decide its internal policies and to join any power bloc it wishes. You may be interested in the 17 types of States that currently exist.

10 main characteristics of sovereignty

1- Universality

This characteristic of sovereignty implies that no person, group, class, organization or association within the State can go beyond the sovereign authority, rather all fall within its control and authority.

The universality of sovereignty also means that the sovereign of the State can legislate for every aspect of the individual and public life of the individual. This means that the sovereign powers of the State are equally valid and enforceable in every corner of the territory.

All institutions, individuals and units are under the powers of the sovereign of the State.

2- Permanence

With the death of the dictator Francisco Franco, an entire political regime fell, but the sovereignty of the Spanish State was not dismembered for this reason

Permanence is one of the main attributes of sovereignty. Sovereignty persists as long as an independent state lasts. This means that the death of a king, the addition of other powers or the fall of the government does not mean the destruction of sovereignty or affect it in any way.

It should be taken into account that the ruler exercises sovereign power on behalf of the State, therefore sovereignty lasts as long as it lasts, not its rulers. If the ruler disappears for any reason, the sovereignty will only change to a new bearer but it will not disappear.

The government can disappear or change frequently, but the state remains until it is dismembered or conquered by another.

3- Exclusivity

By exclusivity, it refers to the fact that a sovereign State cannot exist within another, since the unity of the State would be destroyed.

4- Total understanding

Embassy of Cuba in Washington (United States)

The state is completely comprehensive and sovereign power is universally applicable. Each individual and each individual association is subject to state sovereignty. No individual, nor any group of individuals, no matter how rich or powerful they may be, can resist or disobey sovereign authority.

Sovereignty has no exceptions and does not grant exceptions to anyone. The only case in which you could allow exceptions is with a foreign embassy and diplomatic representatives of foreign countries on a reciprocal basis.

This in no way restricts the sovereignty of the State in the legal sense; the State can abolish and withdraw diplomatic privileges previously granted to foreigners.

5- Inalienability

This characteristic refers to the fact that the State cannot withdraw from its sovereignty. This means that the sovereign does not maintain the sovereignty or the sovereign State, if the State or the sovereign transfers said sovereignty to another person or another State.

Sovereignty is the life and soul of the State; it cannot be alienated without destroying the state as such. He is like a man who cannot transfer his life or personality to another without destroying himself in the process.

6- Unit

The Catalan independence cause is controversial in Spain because the retractors claim that it breaks national unity

Unity is the spirit of sovereignty. The sovereign state must be united by definition. A sovereign state cannot be divided as it is inconsistent with the very definition of sovereignty.

7- imprescriptibility

If the sovereign State does not exercise its sovereignty for a period of time, it does not mean that it has been destroyed. It must be remembered that sovereignty lasts as long as the State lasts, regardless of how long it has remained latent.

8- Indivisibility

This attribute is the blood of sovereignty. Sovereignty cannot be a divided state; if it is divided it is destroyed. It is the supreme power in a state; if sovereignty is divided, then there is more than one state.

As a state is inalienable, it is also indivisible. Power can be delegated to various agencies, organs or units, but sovereignty cannot. Just as a human body cannot be divided without dying, sovereignty cannot be divided without facing death.

9- Absolutity

Sovereignty is absolute and unlimited. The sovereign state has the right to do what it wants. Sovereignty does not answer to anyone, although some modern thinkers think that international law is above sovereignty.

Sovereign power is above all other powers in a state. Sovereignty is the greatest power that is not subject to any kind of direction. All citizens and institutions are subject to this power.

10- Originality

With originality, it means that the sovereign state possesses power by virtue of its own right and not by virtue of someone else.

Sovereignty is something proper to the State, it makes it sacred and above all human institutions.

In the state, no individual or institution has sovereign powers; the State is the only one that can have it. Therefore, it is that unique characteristic that makes the State stand out and have a higher status. It is the only power that is in the hands of the State.

References

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2. Definition. Retrieved from dictionary.com.
3. Sovereignity Meaning Characteristics Aspects and Definitions (2016) Recovered from studylecturenotes.com.
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5. Characteristics of Sovereignity. (2010) Politics and governance. Recovered from politicsandgovernance.blogspot.com.
6. (2003) Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Stanford University. Retrieved from plato.stanford.edu.