Rantetoding 1

Gabriel Tangke Rantetoding

Elisabeth Pristiwi
Civics
12 October 2015

Indonesia: Nation or State

People usually dont know the different between nation and state. A nation is groups of
community who share common genealogy, tradition, language, and history, but does not have
sovereignty. Formation of a nation is primordialism, sacred, figure, history, Bhinneka Tunggal
Ika (unity in diversity), economical development, and institution. According to Frederich Hertz,
would have four elements. Those elements are pretention to achieve national unity, to gain
national independence and freedom, attain autonomy, superiority, individuality, originality, or
uniqueness, and an outstanding nation among others. (Hasim)
A state is a country or region considered as a composed political group under one
government. State function is to managing orderliness and security, managing people's welfare
and prosperity, managing state's defense, and maintaining justice. The two main tasks that state
has to implement are managing state's life as well as possible so that state's goal could be
achieved, and managing and implementing good government through its apparatus. Primary
formations of a state are ethnic group or society federation, monarchy (rijk), nation-state, and
democratic state.

State forms are unitary state (unitaries) and federation state (union =

bondstaat). There are some states alliances. The alliances are state confederation, colony,
dominion, mandate, trusteeship, protectorate, and union. State has elements. Those elements are

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sovereignty, government, territory, and population. Sovereignty must have absolute power to
control its external matters and to act within its territory. Government is issues and enforces
rules for the people living within its territory; government must be recognized from within and
by other nation states in the international community. Territory must have clearly defined and
recognized borders. Population must have people; number does not matter. (Hasim)
Indonesia is a state, but not ordinary state. Indonesia is a unitary state. According to
article 1, verse 1 of the 1945 Constitution: the state of Indonesia shall be a unitary state in the
form of a republic. Pancasila is the evident of Indonesia is a Unitary State, because the based of
the national ideology of Unity are found in it. The national motto of the Indonesian people is
Bhinneka Tunggal Ika Unity in Diversity. Indonesia is divided into 34 provinces, with Jakarta,
as its capital city. Indonesia has become a Unitary State because of its diverse people and society
that are recognized as one people and one nation. So as to keep up the Indonesian solidarity in
its various country with differing societies and conventions, the general population required one
leader that could lead all of them to accomplish one objective. Which is for the Indonesian
people to prosper, improve public welfare, advance in intellectual life, and to contribute on a
world order based on freedom, peace, and social justice. (Hasim)
A unitary state is a state administered as one single force in which the focal government
is eventually incomparable and any managerial divisions practice just powers that their focal
government decides to designate. The larger part of states on the planet has a unitary
arrangement of government.

Unitary state structures are central government and regional

government. Central government is responsible to manage and control all state affairs. Regional
government is responsible for taking care of regional affairs and implementing state affairs.
(Wikipedia)

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Works Cited
Hasim. "Form of States and States' Coalition." Hasim. Civic Education 1 for Senior High School
Year X. Yogyakarta: Yudhistira, 2010. 23.
n.p. "Unitary State." Wikipedia. Wikipedia, 1 October 2015. Web. 10 October 2015.