Chapter+8+-+Political+Geography

__**UNIT IV. Political Organization of Space (13–17%)**__ A. Territorial dimensions of politics B. Evolution of the contemporary political pattern C. Changes and challenges to political–territorial arrangements
 * 1) The concept of territoriality
 * 2) The nature and meaning of boundaries
 * 3) Influences of boundaries on identity, interaction, and exchange
 * 4) Federal and unitary states
 * 5) Spatial relationships between political patterns and patterns of ethnicity, economy, and environment
 * 1) The nation-state concept
 * 2) Colonialism and imperialism
 * 3) Democratization
 * 1) Changing nature of sovereignty
 * 2) Fragmentation, unification, alliance
 * 3) Supranationalism and devolutionElectoral geography, including gerrymandering
 * 4) Terrorism

This section of the course introduces you to the nature and significance of the political organization of territory at different scales. You learn that political patterns reflect ideas about how Earth’s surface should be organized and affect a wide range of activities and understandings.

The course gives primary attention to the political geography of the modern state or country. You are introduced to the different forces that shaped the evolution of the contemporary world political map, including the rise of nation-states in Europe, the influence of colonialism and the contemporary rise of neoliberalism. You also learn about the basic structure of the political map and the inconsistencies between maps of political boundaries and maps of ethnic, economic, and environmental patterns. In addition, you consider some of the forces that are changing the role of individual countries in the modern world, including ethnic separatism, devolution, supranationalism, economic globalization, the emergence of regional economic blocs, and the need to confront environmental problems that cross national boundaries.

This part of the course also focuses on political units above, below, and beyond the state. For example, at the scale above the state, attention is directed to regional integration schemes and alliances, such as NATO, the European Union, and NAFTA. At the scale below the state, students are introduced to the ways in which electoral districts, municipal boundaries, and ethnic territories affect political, social, and economic processes. In addition, students study how particular policies affect the spatial organization of cultural and social life, as in the case of racial segregation. Through study of these matters, you understand the importance of the political organization of territory in the contemporary world.

//__Required Readings: __//
 * 1) Chapter 8 Key Issue 1 Assigned: [[file:APHG Chapter 8 Key Issue 1.docx]]
 * 2) Chapter 8 Key Issue 2 Assigned: [[file:APHG Chapter 8 Key Issue 2.docx]]
 * 3) Chapter 8 Key Issue 3 Assigned: [[file:APHG Chapter 8 Key Issue 3.docx]]
 * 4) Chapter 8 Key Issue 4 Assigned:

//__Projects: __//



//__Lab Work: __//

//__Video Resources: __//
 * media type="youtube" key="J3iKLz4oatY" height="251" width="308" || media type="youtube" key="XbqCquDl4k4" height="219" width="252" ||
 * media type="youtube" key="_CSPbzitPL8" height="251" width="308" || media type="youtube" key="ZNYmK19-d0U" height="219" width="392" ||
 * media type="youtube" key="_CSPbzitPL8" height="251" width="308" || media type="youtube" key="ZNYmK19-d0U" height="219" width="392" ||

//__Vocab Resources: __// Vocab Index Cards are due on the day of the Chapter test. media type="custom" key="12510496"



media type="custom" key="12449410" align="center"