Why do states claim authority over all other organizations within their borders?

States claim authority over all other organizations within their borders because they possess sovereignty, which is defined as the ultimate power or authority exercised in the decision-making process and the maintenance of order.1

A defining characteristic of the modern state is its monopoly on the legitimate use of physical force. By expropriating the means of political organization and domination, the state establishes itself as the only entity with the right to use or authorize physical force within its territory. This monopoly is essential for the state to maintain its status as the supreme authority, ensuring that no other organization—such as private security firms, criminal groups, or competing political actors—can challenge its rule or establish a parallel source of power.2

Ultimately, this claim to supremacy is what distinguishes the state from other organizations, as it asserts an absence of any superior power within its own domain.3