Nation-states (hereafter “nations,” “countries,” or “states”) are internationally autonomous political entities that are bound together by a system of laws, a defi ned (but not necessarily contiguous) geographic space, and a commitment to the pursuit of the collective well-being of their inhabitants. 1 Though quite diverse in geographic size, population characteristics, type of polity, and economic system, nations share a variety of features common with one another (Britannica Online 2011a; Moran et al. 2006; Weingast and Wittman 2006). Rank ordered more or less in terms of their importance, they include (1) recognition of their political sovereignty by other nations; (2) a coherent set of principles that guide their interactions with other sovereign states; (3) secure physical borders; (4) the administration of justice within a system of laws to which, optimally, the governed have assented (e.g., via a written constitution and an independent judiciary); (5) the provision of a range of “public goods” designed to meet the collective needs of their populations (e.g., the creation of monetary and banking systems, road-building and other transportation networks, the development of communications infrastructure, and the provision of at least limited health, education, and related human services) 2 ; (6) special initiatives designed to meet the income security and related needs of their most vulnerable inhabitants (e.g., children, the elderly, persons with chronic illnesses or disabilities, unemployed persons, etc.); and (7) a commitment to promotion of the general well-being of the society-as-a-whole (Kim et al. 2010 ; Plato 2000 ; Sachs 2005 ; Schyns and Koop 2010) . In democratic societies, states also carry responsibility for the conduct of fair and open elections and for the promotion of a broad range of civil liberties and political freedoms – all of which are considered necessary elements in the functioning of pluralistic, participatory, societies (Freedom House 2010 ; Human Rights Watch 2010; Tsai 2006) .
