nationalstaatlichen

Nationalstaatlich is a German adjective meaning relating to the nation-state. The inflected form nationalstaatlichen occurs in phrases such as nationalstaatlichen Strukturen or nationalstaatlichen Politiken. It is commonly used in political science and sociology to describe policies, institutions, or political identities organized around the concept of a nation that shares a common culture, language, or ethnicity and seeks sovereign political authority within a defined territory.

The term is tied to the emergence of the modern nation-state in Europe in the 19th century, when states reorganized from dynastic rule or empire into territorially defined political communities with centralized authority, citizenship, and legal equality before the law. Scholarly use contrasts nationalstaatliche phenomena with cosmopolitan or supranational tendencies.

In debates about globalization, nationalstaatliche considerations often appear in discussions of immigration, border controls, citizenship, and the legitimacy of centralized sovereignty versus regional or transnational governance. Critics argue that an emphasis on nationalstaatliche identity can reinforce exclusion or nationalism, while proponents claim it provides political legitimacy, stability, and social integration anchored in a shared political community.

Examples of usage include analyses of policy regimes, border regimes, and civic education programs described as nationalstaatlich in orientation. The term is widely used in German-language political science, history, and sociology, though it is not a formal constitutional category.