DHeld,CentralPerspectivesontheModernState,inPoliticalTheoryAndtheModernState,edPolityPress

1993Cambridge.
Thenatureofthestateissomethingcentraltopoliticalandsocialtheory,butisyetaverycontestednotion.
_linkedtothenotionofanimpersonalandprivilegedlegalorconstitutionalorderwiththecapabilityof
administeringandcontrollingagiventerritory.
moderninthatitisimpersonal,andinthatithasaterritory.
ThisnotioncouldnotexistintheMiddleagesbecausetherecouldnotbeanimpersonalstatewhilepolitical
rights,obligationsanddutieswerecloselytiedtopropertyrightsandreligioustradition.Peoplecouldalso
afterwardsbeconsideredasindividuals,andthereforecitizens.P11
Modernstate:(Skinner)aformofpublicpowerseparatefromboththerulerandruled,andconstitutingthe
supremepoliticalauthoritywithinacertaindefinedboundary.P12Thisleavesthefollowingquestions
unanswered:whatistherelationshipofpowerwithrulerandruled,whatisthemostdesirableformofstate,
etc
[liberalism:privatesphereindependentfromthestate]
Sovereignty,citizenshipandthedevelopmentofliberalism
Hobbesstate:liberalandilliberal.ItisliberalbecauseHobbesisconcernedtouncoverthebestcircumstances
forhumannatureunderstoodasnaturallyselfish,egoisticalandselfinterestedtofindexpression.P14
(vs.acommunityinterest,orreligiousnature.)claimsofindividuality.
Hobbesstateislogicallysetonobservationsofhumannature(rational?)
Hobbeshadidentifiedtheneedforthemonopolyofthemeansofviolence:covenants,withoutthesword,are
butwords,andofnostrengthtosecureamanatall.
Thestateisheretoensurethelifeandcommodiouslivingofthepeople;ensurelawsothattradecanbe
achieved
Thesovereignstaterepresentsthepublicthesumofindividualinterestsandthuscancreatetheconditions
forindividualstolivetheirlivesandtogoabouttheircompetitiveandacquisitivebusinesspeacefully.P18
coercivepower,representation,legitimacy.(thoughsubjecttodebate.)
Theideaoftheselfishindividualismodern:individualisationpresupposedbythenewpoliticalandeconomic
conditions(individualrightsandcapitalism)
Locke:thestatesraisondetrewastheprotectionofindividualsrights,andsovereigntyultimatelyremainsto
thepeople.Italsohastoprotectfromaggressionfromabroadclearnotionofnationalterritory.
Thestatueshouldbetheregulatorandprotectorofsociety:individualsarebestablebytheirowneffortsto
satisfytheirneedsanddeveloptheircapacitiesinaprocessoffreeexchangewithothers.
restrictiontoensuremaximalfreedomP22
Power,accountabilityandliberaldemocracy
Democracyasawayofaccountingforpolitics:awayofchoosing,authorizing,andcontrollingpolitical
decisionscommensuratewiththepublicinterest.P23
Protectionfromtheuseofpowerofapersonorgroup.
Scientificapproach:utilitarian(humanfollowtheirpleasures,andleadersdotoo,sodemocracyisnecessary.
fourbasicgoalsofthestate:toprovidesubsistence,toproduceabundance;tofavourequality,tomaintain
security.(Bentham).Theaimwastobeabletofreelyengageinproductionandtradeinawaytomaximize
them.rulesofeconomiccompetitionandfreeexchange

JS.Mill:realizationoftheselfthroughpoliticalactivity.Representativedemocracyisthemostsuitablemodeof
governmentfortheenactmentoflawsconsistentwiththeprincipleofliberty,asthefreeexchangeofgoodsin
themarketplaceisthemostappropriatewayofmaximizingeconomiclibertyandeconomicgood.P27
Rousseau:sovereigntytoandfromthepeople.Activecitizens,regulatedbytheirownrules.
Class,coercionandtheMarxistcritique
Theanalysiscannotstartfromtheindividual,becausemenonlyexistininteractionwithandinrelationto
othersP32.Relationsbetweenpeopleisexplainedbyclassstructure.
classdivisionsariseonlywhenasurplusisgenerated,suchthatitbecomespossibleforaclassofnonproducers
toliveofftheproductivityofothers.[Moresurpluswiththeindustrialrevolution]
Thestateactsasifthereisnoclassdivisionandthereforesupportsthestatusquo,i.e.thedominationof
capitalists.Furthermore,thedivisionbetweenstateandsocietygivesanillusionofadepoliticizedprivate
interest.statedeeplyembeddedinsocioeconomicrelationsandlinkedtoparticularinterests.P33stateas
classinstrument.ItisaparasiticbodyandanautonomoussourceofpoliticalactionP35(vs.representative
orservingthegeneralinterest.)
Repressiveinstitutionsarenecessary:army,police
Openpress,associationetcallowcapitaliststoshowtheseasopenwhilecontrollingthemthroughownershipof
themedia,controlofmeetingplaces,money,andothersources.P37
Bureaucracy,parliamentsandthenationstate
Weber:
-

thestateisnotparasiticandcentralizedadministrationmaybeinescapable.P40Especiallybecause
directdemocracyisnotfeasible.

Themodernstateisdistinctfromitspredecessorsthroughthemonopolyoflegitimateuseofviolence
withinagiventerritory.(violencetomaintaintheorderofpropertyandenhancethedomesticeconomic
interestsoverseas.

Legitimacy(legitimizedbythebeliefinthejustifiabilityand/orlegalityofthismonopolyofphysical
coercion.)legalauthority,i.e.basedonconstitution.

Onlytheoccidentknowsthelargestate,andthenotionofcitizenship.Capitalismisnotthe(only)factorwhich
broughtthemodernstate,recognizedbytheexpansionofrationaladministration,thatis,thetypeof
bureaucracyfoundedonlegalauthority.P41officialsareseparatedfromownershipofthemeansof
administration(Weber)
Statebureaucracyisseenascounterbalancingthecapitalistpower,andthesetwoarethereforecheckingoneach
other.
pluralism(multiplesourcesofpower),andcompetitionbetweensocialgroups.
However,becauseeconomicdisasterscanbringdownagovernment,amajorfunctionofgovernmentis
thereforetoseetoitthatbusinessmenperformtheirtasks.P46
geopoliticalconceptions:stateattheintersectionofnationalandinternationalconditionsandpressures.P44
stateasanimpersonal,anonymousstructureofpowerP48(divisionbetweenlegislatureandexecutives)
monopolyofcoercivepowerinordertoprovideasecurebasisuponwhichtrade,commerceandfamilycan
prosper.P489
topalliateforthedilemmaofpower/rightsbalance,representativedemocracywasproduced.Thiswouldinsure
thatthestatewasbehavingforthegeneralinterest.
classinequality(thestateactingforaparticularclass)
Necessarybureaucracyandbalanceofbureaucracyandcapitalistpowers.