Small but Significant: Making the Case for Microstates

Abstract

Microstates+comprise+as+many+as+one-fifth+of+all+sovereign+states+yet+are+rarely+incorporated+into+cross-national+research.+Yet+even+a+cursory+analysis+suggests+that+microstates+in+several+ways+challenge+conventional+theories+in+both+international+and+comparative+politics.+This+paper+highlights+some+of+these+challenges+while+making+the+case+for+increased+consideration+of+the+theoretical+and+empirical+leverage+attained+by+analysis+of+microstates.「微國家」佔所有主權國家的五分之一，但往往在跨國研究中被忽略。然而，透過簡單分析，我們可發現，微國家在許多不同面向上挑戰傳統的國際關係和比較政治理論。本文試指出這些挑戰，並強調各方應該更注重微國家研究所提供的理論和實證意義