Political Processes

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to (per CED LO PSO-4.B):

• Identify the three CED-named foundational concepts that shape contemporary political geography: sovereignty, nation-states, and self-determination (per EK PSO-4.B.1).
• Identify the four CED-named historical processes that influenced contemporary political boundaries: colonialism, imperialism, independence movements, and devolution along national lines (per EK PSO-4.B.2).
• Distinguish colonialism (settlement and direct administration) from imperialism (broader political-economic domination, sometimes without settlement).
• Identify a contemporary case where self-determination claims conflict with state sovereignty and explain the tension.
• Apply Skill 3.E: explain what a world political map implies about colonial-era boundary creation.

Per CED EK PSO-4.B.1, "the concepts of sovereignty, nation-states, and self-determination shape the contemporary world." Per CED EK PSO-4.B.2, "colonialism, imperialism, independence movements, and devolution along national lines have influenced contemporary political boundaries." This is two EKs covering seven distinct political-process terms — one of the densest content blocks in Unit 4.

The Westphalian state system

Modern sovereignty is the organizing principle of the international system. The Peace of Westphalia (1648) ended the Thirty Years' War in Europe and established the principle that states have supreme authority within their own territory and are equal as legal entities, regardless of size. The roughly 195 sovereign states of today's world political map are the heirs of this Westphalian system.

Sovereignty, nation-states, self-determination

The three foundational concepts of EK PSO-4.B.1 work together. Sovereignty is the state's right to govern itself. Nation-states (covered in Topic 4.1) are the ideal alignment of one nation and one sovereign state. Self-determination, codified in the UN Charter (1945), is the right of nations to choose their own political status. The tension is built in: self-determination claims (Catalonia, Kurdistan, Quebec, Tibet) often conflict with the existing sovereignty of established states.

Four historical forces (EK PSO-4.B.2)

EK PSO-4.B.2 names four specific forces that shaped today's borders. Colonialism involved settlement and direct administration of conquered territory; the colonial era (~1500-1960) reshaped almost all of Africa, Asia, and the Americas. Imperialism is broader political-economic domination, sometimes without large-scale settlement (British in India). Independence movements rolled back colonial control after WWII (the rapid decolonization of Africa and Asia in the 1950s-60s). Devolution along national lines further reshaped borders after the Cold War (Yugoslavia, Soviet Union breakup, Czech-Slovak split).

Per CED EKs PSO-4.B.1 and B.2. Memorize all six and at least one example of each.

Four cases that show the political processes producing today's map.

Nigeria · Colonial Boundaries Today

~250 ethnic groups within colonial boundary

Nigeria's borders were drawn by Britain in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with no regard for existing ethnic, linguistic, or religious patterns. The colonial-era boundary lumped together the Hausa-Fulani Muslim north, the Yoruba west, and the Igbo east, plus ~250 other ethnic groups. Internal political tensions trace directly to this colonial geography.

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India · Independence and Partition

August 1947; partition created India + Pakistan

Indian independence from British imperialism (1947) is the textbook decolonization case. The partition into Hindu-majority India and Muslim-majority Pakistan followed self-determination logic but produced one of the largest forced migrations in history (~15M displaced) and ongoing border conflict in Kashmir. Decolonization rarely produces clean political geography.

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Yugoslavia · Devolution Along National Lines

1991-2008; broke into 7 successor states

The breakup of socialist Yugoslavia (1991-2008) is the textbook devolution-along-national-lines case. Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Kosovo, and Serbia emerged as separate states, mostly along ethnic and religious lines. The wars that accompanied the breakup show how violent devolution can be.

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United Kingdom · Asymmetric Devolution

Scotland, Wales, NI parliaments since 1998-99

Since the late 1990s, the UK has devolved powers to Scotland (full parliament), Wales (assembly with growing powers), and Northern Ireland (power-sharing assembly). The 2014 Scottish independence referendum (~55% No) and ongoing pressure show that devolution is not necessarily a one-time settlement — it can be a continuing process.

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1. Sovereignty has been the organizing principle of the international system since 1648. Identify two contemporary developments (climate change, the internet, supranational organizations) that challenge sovereignty as a principle. Is the Westphalian system breaking down or evolving?
2. Self-determination and state sovereignty often conflict (Catalonia within Spain, Kurdistan within Turkey/Iraq, Tibet within China, Quebec within Canada). How do international law and geography weigh these competing claims? Is there a consistent rule, or do outcomes depend on power?
3. Per EK PSO-4.B.2, colonialism shaped contemporary political boundaries. Most African and Middle Eastern borders were drawn by Europeans without regard to existing ethnic patterns. What political consequences are still visible today? What does this say about the durability of imposed boundaries?
4. Distinguish colonialism from imperialism. The British Empire in India was heavily imperial but had relatively few British settlers. The British Empire in Australia was both colonial and imperial. Why does the distinction matter for understanding contemporary political geography?
5. Devolution along national lines can be peaceful (Czech-Slovak split, 1993; Scottish referendum, 2014) or violent (Yugoslavia, 1991-2008). What conditions tend to produce peaceful devolution? What conditions produce violent breakup?

Draft alignment — pending educator review. AP HG codes correspond to the official College Board Course and Exam Description (Effective Fall 2020, V.1). Statements below are paraphrased in CountryReports' own voice; refer to the College Board's published CED for verbatim wording.

AP® and Advanced Placement® are registered trademarks of the College Board. The College Board was not involved in the production of this material and does not endorse it. Standards statements above are paraphrased; codes refer back to the official College Board CED, the NCSS C3 Framework, the Common Core State Standards, and other cited frameworks.