Final answer:
People not subject to any nation or government live in what is called a stateless society. Stateless societies lack formal governance institutions and stateless nations are groups with a common identity lacking sovereign territory. Historically, nomadic and hunter-gatherer groups lived without states, and certain regions today may experience temporary statelessness due to government suspensions or transitions.
Step-by-step explanation:
When people are not subject to any nation or government, they may live in what is described as a stateless society. This term refers to a social structure that lacks formal institutions of governance. Throughout history, various groups have not had formal states or sovereign governments. For instance, before the proliferation of agricultural societies, human groups such as hunters and gatherers lived without states, moving seasonally and governing themselves without formal rulers or codified laws. Stateless nations, like the Palestinians, Kurds, and some American Indian groups, share a common identity and history but do not control a specific territory as a sovereign state. The concept of self-governance without a central authority suggests that people are capable of organizing and making decisions among themselves, much like friends come together to decide without elected leaders or written rules.
Statelessness can also relate to individuals who are not considered citizens of any country, lacking legal nationality, and therefore face difficulties in accessing the basic rights and protections typically granted by statehood. Additionally, certain regions may experience periods without a formal government due to reasons such as military dictatorships, transitional governments, or suspended constitutions. In modern times, the majority of the world's territory is divided among nation-states, but historical perspectives remind us that stateless societies and nomadic lifestyles were much more common in the past.