Sovereignty is an attribute of states that is both an idea and a reality of state power. It is one of the means, an important one, by which the government of a state seeks to ensure the best it possibly can for its people. As such, it also changes over time. This article will provide information on the meaning of sovereignty in politics in Nigeria, the different types of sovereignty and lots more.
Sovereignty is connected with the power of governing bodies; it refers to their full right of power without the interference of outside sources. A sovereign body has supreme and unchallengeable power over its subjects. The definition of sovereignty in politics is the dominant principle of the Westphalian model of state foundation.
Almost every philosopher in every century of our history had his/her vision of sovereignty and how it can be applied in the control of the states. This control can be executed in many ways which are listed below.
Titulae sovereignty is also called nominal sovereignty. Its theory stipulates that any state or institution functioning under it has full power over its governance (which is not entirely true). An example for this type of sovereignty can be seen in England, where a monarch is the Titular Sovereign, but the actual power belongs to the parliament.
This describes a situation where a state's sovereignty power is executed by a single institution or individual. The British Queen who has titular sovereignty over her country is a typical example of real Sovereignty.
This gives access to a state, institution or person according to the rules of the constitution; the constitution safeguards the sovereign body from unlawful acts. The legal sovereignty laws are final and cannot be questioned. The Great Britain Parliament is empowered by the constitution of the Great Britain (a typical practice of legal Sovereignty).
The political system of a country represents its sovereignty views. For instance, even if the real and legal power belongs to a president or parliament, the political sovereignty is provided to the people. In America, the parliament and president are elected by votes (this is an example of a political Sovereignty).
Popular sovereignty is like democracy whereby the real power is provided to every citizen of a country. If there is no corruption, no cheating and equality among the citizens, then the most popular of them gets the popular sovereignty. In Ancient Greece, the rulers were elected according to their popularity amongst the population.
This type of sovereignty is protected and empowered by constitutions and laws. The power of the Dejure sovereign is recognized by the state and constitution, therefore, it has the authority to execute orders and state new laws.
This is a situation whereby the state power is exercised by individuals or institutions with real power; it can be used as a temporary measure in a country during periods when the government's power is unstable. Usually, in such cases, the new government may not be recognized in the international arena. Nonetheless, they will still possess sovereignty for the execution of power.
The power given to such sovereignty should not be restricted or limited by any constitution or law and the international law acknowledges the sovereignty of the state in every area. Absolute sovereignty embodies and empowers the enforcement of laws over the lives of the citizens.
This is described as the relationships between the sovereign state and its inner states. It also shows a question of rights and legitimacy of the central government power.
It usually concerns the relationship between the sovereign powers of different countries. Therefore, the external sovereignty denies any type of subordination of one country over another. At the same time, the international laws are acknowledged by all the countries of the world, but some of the countries prefer to not follow them.