Mises’s Theory of Nations Applied to Immigration and Borders
Borders
05/23/2026
In Nation, State, and Economy Ludwig von Mises defines a nation as a people group who all speak the same language, even while understanding that shared history, culture, and ancestry contribute to national identity. Mises also distinguishes between nation and state, arguing that a nation is a self-aware community, while a state rules over them.
His concept of a nation was based on his experience living within the Austro-Hungarian Empire. In this case, language and nation did correlate more closely than in the US. Among other nations, Mises discusses how Germans, Italians, Slavs, and Czechs lived together under one state while having different, opposing interests.
In the US, multiple nations speaking English live together within the 50 states and under a federal umbrella. In our case, language doesn’t demarcate a nation very clearly. The external signs of American nations are accent, food, political philosophy, sports, religion, values, and music. In the US, these national borders aren’t on a map, but are understood when comparing North to South, urban to rural, and coastland to heartland.
https://mises.org/mises-wire/misess-theory-nations-applied-immigration-and-borders
