(b) Outline the limitations of sovereignty in a state.
Explanation
(a).Sovereignty of a State is the supremacy of the state in authority and power to make and enforce decision, laws within its area of jurisdiction and without external control or interference.
(b) Limitations of Sovereignty in a State include:
(i) Treaties: Treaties entered into by different states are a limitation to such states. They must respect the terms of the treaty.
(ii) International Laws: Every country must abide by the international laws and convention. U.N.O has the capacity of imposing sanctions on any country that defaults.
(iii) International Organisations: States that belong to international or regional organisations like U.N.O, OAU, etc, must be ready to abide by the rules governing these organisations. This is a limitation.
(iv)Military and technological might of some powerful states: These powerful states can easily influence the economic and political policies of smaller or weaker states.
(v) Resources of States: States with poor resources depend on richer states for different kinds of assistance.
(vi) Public Opinion: The opinion of the people, whether internal or external, is powerful and is not what any reasonable government should ignore.
(vii) Constitution/Rule of Law: The constitution or rule of law has placed limitations on the functions of the government. This is a limitation to the sovereignty of a state.
(viii) The electorate: The electorate possess political or popular sovereignty in modern states. They have the power to elect and remove political leaders from office or government.
(ix) Crises can at times limit the sovereignty of a state.
(x) Customs and traditions of the people: In order to obey the customs and traditions of the people, sovereignty of the state may be limited.