The two country hypothesis

There are two very different types of countries.

The H-type Country

The first type of country is the historical country or H-type country. It is a result of long historical processes involving geography, ecology, demography, climate, culture and economic forces. Most countries are of this type. The H-type country has many of the following characteristics:

• Easily defensible borders
• A contiguous landmass with low transport costs and no need to change transport mode
• Common culture, history and language
• A ruling class that identifies with the prevailing culture
• Immigration based on similar culture and language, emigration based on ideology
• A legal code based on tradition and historical precedent
• A common historical enemy neighbouring country
• Historically, a low need for foreign trade due to complementary economic activities
• A political discourse with heterogeneous givens, focused on details and pragmatism

The I-type Country

The second type of country is an entirely different species. It is a conscious creation with a specific ideology. I-type countries will succeed or fail to a large extent due to the ideology they are based on. If the ideology is in tune with human nature and the specific situation of the country, the country will prosper. If not, it will wither and fail. This type of country is something fairly new in human history, and has many of the following characteristics:

• A common ideology that permeates all aspects of life, including the economy, culture and the law
• A common enemy ideology
• Migration based on ideology
• A ruling class that identifies with the prevailing ideology
• A legal code consistent with the prevailing ideology and with barriers to change
• A converse ideology limited in its means of expression
• A political discourse focused on universals and with implicit assumptions consistent with the prevailing ideology

As I-type countries develop over time they tend to drift away from strict adherence to the chosen ideology. A common culture and language will develop and eventually they tend to become H-type countries. Former colonies are not usually I-type countries. Anti-colonialism is a strong force, but once a country has become free of undue foreign influence, the ideology says little of how a country should be organised. The ruling class that embodies the culture of an H-type country or the ideology of an I-type country does not have to be a minority.

Examples of I-type countries:

Country	Ideology
USA	Freedom
Switzerland	Subsidiarity
Pakistan	Islam
Hong Kong	Capitalism
USSR	Communism
Israel	Judaism
Kampuchea	Marxist agrarianism, the “Anka” doctrine

The Scale

Clearly there are many nations that do not fit exactly into either category. Therefore it may be useful to instead describe countries as being somewhere on a spectrum or scale. At one end is the pure I-type country, at the other a pure H-type country. It should be possible to place all countries somewhere on this scale. Most would be toward the historical end of the scale.