State: Theories and Issues. Political Analysis.

by Colin Hay (Editor), Michael Lister (Editor), David Marsh (Editor)

Broad-ranging in its coverage and truly international in scope, this major new text introduces all the main competing theoretical approaches to the study of the state as well as key contested issues in relation to globalization, new forms of governance, the changing public/private boundary, changes in the powers and capacities of states, and the differences between advanced liberal democratic and other states. Chapters have been specially commissioned to a common format and are written by an international cast of leading authorities.

Genres: Politics

ebook

First published November 19, 2005

Reviews

[Michael Gerald · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the major references I used for my graduate course of Theories of the State. Easy-to-read and full of explanation on the classical theories of the state and contemporary issues and trends on the development and meaning of the institution that is the state.

[unperspicacious · Rating 4 out of 5]

Does what it sets out to do, and does it well. However, its bias towards analyzing European polities is telling. This tendency is becoming increasingly anachronistic as economic power continues shifting from the Atlantic to the Pacific region. Presumably the nature of statehood in this region will become more important for the future of practical politics, and this will also be reflected in the choice of readings that politics departments set for university students. Perhaps even more so if the European Union project fails to make any further progress in its aims...