The Imagination of the Empire, the State, and the Nation-State

Extract: There have been countless political communities, but basically, in a relatively concise way, you can divide them into two categories: The first is a purely factual regime with no theoretical basis, you can call it generically "the State". Any community that can exercise actual powers can be called a state, with no special conditions needed; the second kind needs to have a certain theoretical basis, its existence cannot be mere de facto power. It must claim to be of a certain theoretical foundation, principles, or to have a mission. This relatively advanced political entity also includes many types. The two prominent ones are the Empire and the Nation-State.