When reading Kathleen McNamara's "Constructing authority in the European Union" I was intrigued by theory of how institutions gain and maintain political authority. The point that drew me in the most was of how symbolic power is most effective when it is least obvious. This made me think about authority that I legitimized, without even knowing. Specifically, the state in which I live, and the constant bombardment of the name, just incase I may have forgotten where I live, and who gets to make the laws that I have to follow.
Other than the European Union, I found another example of symbolic power in my state identity. The state identity might be more self-explanatory if you knew that I am from Wisconsin. I am constantly reminded that only do I live in Wisconsin, but also how great of a state it is (at least in some respects). Even if you don't live in Wisconsin, the next time you buy cheese, I challenge you to look at the packaging. Often you will find a symbol that says it was made in Wisconsin, with Wisconsin dairy, or that it is proudly Wisconsin cheese. Seeing these symbols daily on any products with dairy in them, reinforces the idea into your head that obviously the milk in WI is just better than other states, especially California. Don't even get me started on California milk. But this reiteration of a sense of belonging and pride also comes in regards our football teams. Ignoring the NFL team from WI, the University of Wisconsin-Madison is a big deal. Game days are equivalent to holidays, and everyone screams like a teenage fan-girl when they see Bucky.
Everywhere you look, you see the word Wisconsin, especially on t-shirts. Without even thinking about the university, many parents buy clothing for their children with the large, proud letters. I noticed this "extra" sense of pride when I attended a university in Minnesota for my Bachelor's degree. Without even realizing it, I owned, and wore, many shirts with WISCONSIN across the top. It was pointed out to me by a professor from Louisiana that he always knows whether a student is from Wisconsin, or just a fan of their sports. He said the difference was that students from Wisconsin consistently wore the apparel, even when there was no game that day.
These visuals are purposefully pushed at citizens to create the sense of belonging, and legitimizing the state as an institution. Citizens of WI do not realize that by accepting that the state is farm state, that it has the best dairy, the best beer, or that we make Harley-Davidson bikes, we are giving the state the power to take actions that continue and better these interests. After all, we are America's Dairyland, and that's all that matters.
https://auisgroup1summer18.blogspot.com/2018/07/symbolic-power-americas-dairyland.html
As interesting as the article was about how subtle things such as symbols, flags, citizenship lines at the airport and license plates, are able to influence our perceptions of identity prompting people to legitimize certain institutions like the European Union, it made me wonder why Palestine isn't recognized as a legitimate state on the global stage if it holds many of the features independent states do. I am no expert on Palestine but from what I know the region has a flag like the EU, has leaders like the EU, has laws like the EU, and most importantly it has its own social identity and its citizens hold a deep sense of nationalism. Thus, it puzzles me that some actors will not recognize Palestine as a legitimate state. The states that deny Palestine independence seem to be playing politics because they are aligning themselves with more powerful actors who seem to share a common goal and/or have a long-standing history with neighboring Israel. In any case, I simply find it hypocritical that Palestine is viewed as illegitimate by some nations even though it has many of the criteria countries and institutions use to determine whether a country or institution is legitimate or not.
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