KSLU Solved Question Papers
Political Science (Theory and Thought)
Previous Year Question Paper with Solution
B.A. LL.B. (Five Years) · Sem 1
2021 Mar Examination
munotes.in
Mumbai
B.A. LL.B. (Five Years) Sem 1 Political Science (Theory and Thought) 2021 Mar Question Paper with Solutions
First published on munotes.in on 21 October 2026.
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The question paper reproduced here is the paper as set by Karnataka State Law University at the 2021 Mar examination.
Contents
The questions below are the paper as Karnataka State Law University set it at the 2021 Mar examination, in the order it was set.
MarksPage
MarksPage
The Paper as Set
The questions in this volume are the questions asked at the 2021 Mar examination, reproduced as Karnataka State Law University set them, in the order it set them. Long reading passages are shortened to their first and last lines and our summary; the original paper prints them in full. Only the answers are ours. See the original question paper.
Duration 3 hours · Total marks 80 · 20 questions answered
How to use this volume
Solve the paper first, under exam conditions and against the clock. Then read the answers here and mark your own. Reading a solution before attempting the question feels productive and teaches very little, because recognising an answer is not the same as being able to write one.
Q1
(a)Define State. Discuss its nature and elements.[10]
Answer
For full marks, cover: four definitions; the nature of the state in eight points; the main theories of its nature (organic, juristic, idealist, Marxist, pluralist), each with a criticism; the four elements with their sources; and a conclusion.
Definitions
- Aristotle: the state is "the union of families and villages having for an end a perfect and self-sufficing life, by which we mean a happy and honourable life."
- Bluntschli: "The state is the politically organized people of a definite territory."
- Woodrow Wilson: "A State ... is a People organized for law within a definite territory."
- Garner: "a community of persons more or less numerous, permanently occupying a definite portion of territory, independent of external control and possessing an organized government to which the great body of inhabitants render habitual obedience." This is the standard definition, because each phrase names one element.
The nature of the state
1. The state is natural. Aristotle held that "Man is by nature a political animal." The state comes into existence "originating in the bare needs of life, and continuing in existence for the sake of a good life".
2. The state is necessary and universal. Every civilised people lives in a state. Without it there is no common power to keep order.
3. Membership is compulsory. A person may leave a club, but every person living in a territory is subject to the state.
4. The state is permanent. Governments change; the state continues. India remained the same state through many changes of government.
5. The state is territorial. Its authority runs over a definite area.
6. The state is sovereign. It is supreme over all persons and associations within, and independent of other states.
7. The state is a legal person. It owns property, makes contracts, sues and is sued, and makes treaties, apart from the persons who make it up.
8. The state is a means to an end. It exists for the welfare and good life of its people. Bluntschli also stressed the "unity of the whole" and the "distinction between governors and governed".
Theories of the nature of the state
1. The organic theory. The state is a living organism, like a body, whose parts depend on the whole. Bluntschli spoke of the state's "organic nature", meaning a living whole and not a mere machine. Criticism: the comparison is only an analogy. Garner warned that the resemblance between the body politic and a human organism "is at best only superficial".
2. The juristic theory. The state is a legal person, a corporation with rights and duties. Garner's definition is juristic: it names elements a lawyer can test. Criticism: it describes the state's legal form but not its purpose.
3. The idealist theory. The state is a moral community through which people realise their best selves. This view runs from Plato and Aristotle to T. H. Green. Criticism: pushed too far, it may glorify the state above the individual.
4. The Marxist theory. The state is an instrument of class rule. Engels called it "a product of society at a certain stage of evolution", which arises when society splits into classes. Criticism: the democratic state also protects workers and the poor.
5. The pluralist theory. The state is one association among many, such as churches, unions and guilds, which also command loyalty. Laski was its leading voice. Criticism: society still needs one final authority to settle conflicts between associations.
The elements of the state
1. Population. Garner calls it "the first element which enters into the physical make-up of the state". There is no fixed number.
2. Territory. Bluntschli: "A people does not become a permanent State till it has acquired a territory." It includes land, inland waters, the territorial sea and the airspace above.
3. Government. A mass of people does not form a state "until they have organized themselves politically and established a civil government". Government is the machinery through which the state's will is made and carried out.
4. Sovereignty. Supremacy within and independence without. A State of the Indian Union has people, territory and government, but it is not sovereign.
The Montevideo Convention (1933), article 1, states the same elements in international law: "(a) a permanent population; (b) a defined territory; (c) government; and (d) capacity to enter into relations with the other States."
| Element | Meaning | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Population | A community of people | Garner |
| Territory | A definite area, permanently occupied | Bluntschli |
| Government | Political organisation | Garner |
| Sovereignty | Supreme within, independent without | Garner's definition |
Conclusion. The state is a community of people permanently occupying a territory, organised under a government, and independent of outside control. In nature it is natural, necessary, compulsory, permanent, territorial and sovereign, and it exists for the good life of its people. Its elements are population, territory, government and sovereignty. In Garner's words, these are "the indispensable, eternal marks of the state".
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