<u>Advantages</u>
City states have some advantages over non-citystate countries.
Better managing, planning and pacing their population growth because there is no free-ranging intra-country rural population migration to the city. They can calibrate the city population growth via immigration controls. Easier to plan public services, public infrastructure, etc.
The politics is less complex, less compromise required, because there is no urban-rural political divide. More decisive, rapid decision-making. In most electoral systems, rural constituencies tend to have disproportionate electoral power over urban ones. Politicians tend to pander to rural constituents, who are easier to please than urbanites.
Easier to justify (in terms of utilization) and rollout most infrastructure such as 5G. But, some infrastructure may be more challenging, such as metro mass rapid transit systems because of dense urban development, requiring underground tunneling.
And if we look at globalization growth today, it’s powered by citystates and global cities. They are the hubs of globalization.
(3) <u>Disadvantages</u>
No hinterland.
Vulnerable to military attacks.
Vulnerable to sieges and blockades, military or economic.
Vulnerable to instability spillovers from unstable neighbors, e.g. ethnic or religious riots.
Possible water supply challenges. Heavy dependence on external supplier - supply risks.
Possible food supply challenges. Heavy dependence on external supplier - supply risks.
Possible environmental issue spillover from neighbors, e.g. haze, nuclear plant accident, oil leaks, oil tanker shipping accidents, etc.
Possible health issue spillover from neighbors, e.g. epidemics, pandemics
