In this paper I will be discussing the characteristics of a modern nation-state, the European Union, and a couple of the foreign policies of the United States. By the end of this paper there should be an understanding of what makes a modern nation-state and also some examples of countries that are either a nation or state. To understand what a nation-state is, you must first understand what both a state and a nation truly are in today’s world. A state is an entity that is responsible for both the country and the country’s citizens. A state has predefined borders that lay out what land it controls and also has sovereignty to a ruling power. A Those countries were Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands. There was many different things happening during this time frame such as the start of the Cold War, the space race, and also the Treaty of Rome was created which developed the European Economic Community also known as Common Market. (The History of the European Union, 2013) The 1960s saw good economic growth which was helped by the EU stopping the charges for custom duties when trading between one another. There was also an agreement for joint control over food production which ended up creating a surplus of food across the EU. In the early 1970s the EU grew by the adding of Denmark, Ireland, and the United Kingdom. The death of General Franco in Spain and the overthrow of the regime in Portugal led to the end of the right-wing dictatorships that were left in Europe. In 1979 the European Parliament increased its influence in the EU and also all citizens gain the right to elect their members directly. (The History of the European Union, 2013) In the 1980s and 1990s there were substantial changes that occurred. Greece, Spain, Austria, Finland, Sweden, and Portugal became members of the EU. The Single European Act was signed which targeted the problems experienced with free-flow traffic throughout the EU. The Berlin Wall was pulled down finally reuniting East and West Germany in 1990. The Maastricht Treaty and the Treaty of
