# State The term “state” refers to a territory that is united under one government and recognized by other states. Generally, states are sovereign, meaning they submit to no higher authority in the territory they govern, although “federated states” are united under a higher authority with partial but not complete autonomy. A political organization of society, the body politic, or, more narrowly, the institutions of government. The State is a form of human association distinguished from other social groups by its purpose, the establishment of order and security; its methods, the laws and their enforcement; its territory, the area of jurisdiction or geographic boundaries; and finally by its sovereignty. The State values are defined in its [Constitution](/wiki-network-state/dictionary/constitution.md). #### How is the State relevant to the Network State? In order to create something new, we need a clear common language to describe what exists today. If we are to create a state together, we must first agree on what a state is. --- # Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter: ``` GET https://gitbook.jur.io/wiki-network-state/dictionary/state.md?ask= ``` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.