The State

Debates about the role and nature of the state are at the heart of modern politics. However, the state itself remains notoriously difficult to define, and the term is subject to a range of different interpretations. In this book, distinguished state theorist Bob Jessop provides a critical introduction to the state as both a concept and a reality. He lucidly guides readers through all the major accounts of the state, and examines competing efforts to relate the state to other features of social organization. Essential themes in the analysis of the state are explored in full, including state formation, periodization, the re-scaling of the state and the state's future. Throughout, Jessop clearly defines key terms, from hegemony and coercion to government and governance. He also analyses what we mean when we speak about 'normal'and 'exceptional' states, and states that are 'failed' or 'rogue'.Combining an accessible style with expert sensitivity to the complexities of the state, this short introduction will be core reading for students and scholars of politics and sociology, as well as anyone interested in the changing role of the state in contemporary societies.

Debates about the role and nature of the state are at the heart of modern politics. However, the state itself remains notoriously difficult to define, and the term is subject to a range of different interpretations.In this book, distinguished state theorist Bob Jessop provides a critical introduction to the state as both a concept and a reality. He lucidly guides readers through all the major accounts of the state, and examines competing efforts to relate the state to other features of social organization. Essential themes in the analysis of the state are explored in full, including state formation, periodization, the re-scaling of the state and the state's future. Throughout, Jessop clearly defines key terms, from hegemony and coercion to government and governance. He also analyses what we mean when we speak about 'normal'and 'exceptional' states, and states that are 'failed' or 'rogue'.Combining an accessible style with expert sensitivity to the complexities of the state, this short introduction will be core reading for students and scholars of politics and sociology, as well as anyone interested in the changing role of the state in contemporary societies.

Preface viiiTables xAbbreviations xi1 Introduction 1Part I The State as Concept, Relation, and Reality 132 The Concept of the State 153 The State as a Social Relation 534 Power, Interests, Domination, State Effects 91Part II On Territory, Apparatus, and Population 1215 The State and Space-Time 1236 State and Nation 1487 Government + Governance in the Shadow of Hierarchy 164Part III Past and Present (Futures) of the State 1878 The World Market and the World of States 1899 Liberal Democracy, Exceptional States, and the New Normal 21110 The Future of States and Statehood 238Notes 250References 257Index of Names 290Subject Index 292