Politics Quote by Joseph Reese Strayer
““...what we are looking for is the appearance of political units persisting in time and fixed in space, the development of permanent, impersonal institutions, agreement on the need for authority which can give final judgments and acceptance of the idea that this authority should receive the basic loyalty of its subjects.””
About This Quote
Source Book: The Origin of the Modern State, Joseph Reese Strayer, 1970
The quote describes how societies develop lasting political structures and institutions that hold authority and command loyalty over time and space.
In simple terms: Societies create lasting political institutions that demand loyalty.
Key Takeaway
Recognize the importance of stable institutions for societal order.
Themes
political theory
institutional development
authority
loyalty
state formation
Mood
analytical
reflective
Type
theoretical
historical
When to use this quote
- government formation
- legal systems
- public administration
- citizen-state relations
Key Concepts
social contract
legitimacy
state sovereignty
Questions to Reflect On
- How do permanent institutions emerge in different cultures?
- What challenges arise when authority loses legitimacy?
A Different Perspective
Assumes all societies value centralized authority, which may not hold in stateless or anarchic contexts.
