An
ideology, or rather a whole category of similar
ideologies, based on the premise that each
nation (or at least the
ideologist's own nation) constitutes a natural political community whose members should all live together under the authority of "their own" independent
nation state. When the people of one
nation live in large numbers in a multi-ethnic
state or in
states with government(s) dominated by political elites drawn from another nationality, nationalism often becomes an
ideology justifying rebellion or secession in order to create or recreate a
nation state for the heretofore subjugated
nation. When substantial numbers of people seen as belonging to the
nation live outside the borders of their own
nation state, nationalism often becomes an ideology justifying an aggressive foreign policy striving to expand the
state's borders to include them. Nationalist ideologies usually claim that their respective
nation possess special national characteristics or virtues that make them morally and intellectually superior to all other
nations and should qualify their
nation state for a special or privileged role in the world at large.
[See also: ideology, nation, state, nation state, fascism]
