POLS G34: Whether new forms of politics are rendering the national form of the state redundant..
The module provides an MA level introduction to state theory, historical sociology as applied to the state and issues surrounding the contemporary political restructuring of the state. After a brief review of analytical approaches to capitalism and the state we will look in depth at some of the most influential theories of the capitalist state. Beginning with liberal pluralist approaches we move on to explore early Marxist theories and the more sophisticated `state derivation’ debates. Post-marxist and neo-gramscian theories are touched upon before we turn to analyse how state theory underpins modern forms of politics (in particular, liberal market and social democratic approaches to rule). This theoretical underpinning enables us to consider forms of mobilization and rule including Labour, Conservative and coalition periods of governing in the UK. The last section of the module looks at the contemporary international system and considers challenges to the state, as the principal form of political organisation. After reviewing the literature on the impact of economic globalisation on the state, we consider popular resistance to the state, and raise the question of whether new forms of politics are rendering the national form of the state redundant.
Assessment is by 1 x 5000 word essay.
Aims and objectives
By the end of the module it is expected that you will be able to:
·
contribute to sophisticated debates on the nature of the state in political science and historical sociology
·
analyse conceptions of the state that underpin political strategies in Britain today
·
demonstrate an ability to apply established methods of research and enquiry appropriate to the analysis of the restructuring of the contemporary state
Availability of module tutor
Peter Burnham is available each week to see students at the office hours indicated on the front of this document and posted on my door (Room 324).
Seminar programme 2017
1.
Introduction: Preliminary thoughts on the state
2.
Theories of the capitalist state I: liberal democracy
3.
Theories of the capitalist state II: miliband/poulantzas
4.
Theories of the capitalist state III: capital relation and post-marxist theories
5.
Approaches to rule and mobilisation I: social democratic theories
6.
Reading week
7.
Labourism, socialism and the Labour Party
8.
Approaches to rule and mobilisation II: liberal market theories
9.
Conservatism, liberalism and coalition politics
10.
Globalisation and the state
11.
Essay session
The module is run as a weekly two-hour seminar held in the Autumn term.
Recommended reading
There is no single text which covers the scope of the course. Recommended reading is shown for each weekly topic. There are four books which should prove particularly useful:-
Colin Hay, Michael Lister and David Marsh (eds) , The State: Theories and Issues (Palgrave 2006) – useful and accessible collection for both theories and substantive issues.
Phillip Corrigan and Derek Sayer, The Great Arch (Basil Blackwell, 1985) – excellent study of the historical development of the British state.
Bob Jessop, State Theory (Polity, 1990) – a leading theory text (also see his more recent, State Power [Polity, 2007])
Simon Clarke, Keynesianism, Monetarism and the Crisis of the State (Edward Elgar, 1988) – a difficult text but one that repays serious analysis.
POLS G34: Whether new forms of politics are rendering the national form of the state redundant.