State Transformations: Classes, Strategy, Socialism

This book examines the decline of state theory and emphasizes the importance of class analysis in understanding states. It explores the neoliberal restructuring of capitalist states, the changing economic and political architecture of imperialism, and the prospects for democratic transformation. The essays are intended to honor Leo Panitch's influential work.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 387 pages
Publication date: 18 August 2022
Publisher: Haymarket Books

It is commonly observed that critical, particularly Marxist, state theory began to lose its central position in the study of comparative politics during the 1980s. Interestingly, this transition coincided with the implementation of neoliberal policies, which profoundly reshaped the social form and spatial scales of the state, leading to a radical restructuring of state economic intervention practices and expanding the capabilities of the coercive arms of the state. This volume aims to address the decline of state theory over the past decades and emphasizes the continued relevance of class analysis in understanding states. The title of the book, State Transformations, reflects several key themes in the comparative study of states: the neoliberal restructuring of capitalist states, the evolving economic and political architecture of imperialism, and the potential for democratic transformations of capitalist states. The essays collected herein are intended to pay tribute to the influential body of work of Leo Panitch, whose scholarly contributions have shaped debates on the state, imperialism, and socialism over the past four decades.

Contributors to this volume include:

Clyde W. Barrow
Caio Bugiato
Frank Deppe
Ruth Felder
Ana Garcia
Sam Gindin
Doug Henwood
Martijn Konings
Colin Leys
Sebnem Oguz
Bryan D. Palmer
Dennis Pilon
Larry Savage
Charles Smith
Michalis Spourdalakis
Hilary Wainwright

Weight: 578g
Dimension: 152 x 229 x 27 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781642597769