State Theory: Putting the Capitalist State in Its Place

by Bob Jessop

This volume develops a novel approach to state theory. It offers a comprehensive review of the existing literature on the state and sets a new agenda for state research. Four central themes define the scope of the an account of the bases of the operational autonomy of the state; the need to develop state theory as part of a more general social theory; the possibilities of explaining "capitalist societalization" without assuming that the economy is the ultimate determinate of societal dynamics; and a defense of the method of articulation in theory construction. In developing these issues, Bob Jessop both builds on and goes well beyond the view presented in his earlier books, The Capitalist State (1982) and Nicos Poulantzas (1985). The result is a highly original statement that should stimulate much debate. The volume confirms the author's standing as one of the most important postwar Marxist state theorists.

Genres: Academic

184 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 1990

Reviews

[Harrison Pincombe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some amazing insights here, particularly about the strategic-relational approach to state theory, and the concomitant centrality of "accumulation strategies" to the theoretical question of how to walk the economism/politicism tight-rope, but there's also a lot of less useful reviews of 1970s-1980s state theory that's only really interesting in a historical if you're a nerd for this stuff like me. The stuff on autopoietic and state-centric theories is particularly dull, even if there is the occasional pearl of wisdom in there as well.

[david · Rating 3 out of 5]

very useful in spite Jessop really having a smarmy tone to his writing. At times i wish he would bring down the analytical scale and heed the dictum by Poulantzas (his intellectual guide)--a general theory of the state is helpful to the extent that it elucidates the metamorphosis of its object.