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Thus, while a small state may never be in a position to, alone, effectively defend its interests against a middle power, and certainly not against a great power or a super power, it may, on occasion, be able to effectively defend its interests against another small state. A mini state is one with limited territory, and a rela tively small population (Handel, 1988). In most instances, the mini states are, in effect, city states. Some of them, such as Hong Kong and Singapore, are densely populated; however, even in the case of Hong Kong, with more than five million inhabi tants in 1986, the population is relatively small. Wright (1964, p. 205) said that effective government "necessarily combines the principles of consent and coercion, but the proportion of each is not unimportant. The virtues of modern civilization . . . can be better preserved . . . with a maximum of consent and a minimum of complusion . . . ." Coer cion used by states is a part of conflict behavior among states (Mitchell, 1981). Conflict behavior is contrasted with competition. Where competition is "aimed at achieving particu 3lar goals," conflict implies "behavior aimed at affecting an opponent" (Mitchell, 1981, p. 30). The question of sovereignty in the contemporary world is associated with the di |
