The StateThe State

What do you think the people in these images have in common?

What role do the people in these occupations play in your life?

Do you think the role they play is important?Who pays for these people and institutions? Can you think of any other similar roles?

Max WeberMax Weber

““The state is The state is the thing which the thing which claims the claims the monopoly of monopoly of the legitimate the legitimate use of physical use of physical force within a force within a given territory” given territory”

So what is ‘The State’?So what is ‘The State’?

““The state consists of that set of centralised The state consists of that set of centralised and interdependent social institutions and interdependent social institutions concerned with passing laws, implementing concerned with passing laws, implementing and administering those laws, and providing and administering those laws, and providing the legal machinery to enforce the legal machinery to enforce compliancecompliance with them. These institutions rest upon the with them. These institutions rest upon the state’s monopoly of legitimate force within a state’s monopoly of legitimate force within a given territory, which means that most of the given territory, which means that most of the time the laws of Britain are upheld. The time the laws of Britain are upheld. The powers of the state ultimately rest upon this powers of the state ultimately rest upon this threat of legitimate force.”threat of legitimate force.”

Abercrombie and Warde 2000Abercrombie and Warde 2000

Abercrombie and Warde argue Abercrombie and Warde argue that the state has that the state has 66 significant significant

powerspowers To create and To create and

enforce laws (Social enforce laws (Social Control)Control)

To own landTo own land

To raise money To raise money through tax (both through tax (both direct and indirect direct and indirect taxes)taxes)

It is a major employer It is a major employer (20% of workforce in (20% of workforce in the UK).the UK).

Controls economic Controls economic policy (interest rates)policy (interest rates)

Regulates the quality Regulates the quality of certain services.of certain services.

The British State Comprises these institutions

Judiciary

Where would you put these Where would you put these examples?examples?

PolicePolice Local CouncillorLocal Councillor Council WorkerCouncil Worker Civil ServantCivil Servant TreasuryTreasury ArmyArmy TeacherTeacher Bank of EnglandBank of England

Home OfficeHome Office NavyNavy DoctorDoctor BBC news readerBBC news reader Post OfficePost Office Prime MinisterPrime Minister MPMP JudgesJudges

History of the StateHistory of the StateKeywordsKeywords

Laissez faireLaissez faire Universal SuffrageUniversal Suffrage ManifestoManifesto NationalisationNationalisation PrivatisationPrivatisation Welfare StateWelfare State PaternalisticPaternalistic

Conviction PoliticsConviction Politics Consensus PoliticsConsensus Politics Public UtilityPublic Utility The Third WayThe Third Way PovertyPoverty Social ExclusionSocial Exclusion

Pluralist View of the StatePluralist View of the State

R.DahlR.Dahl Power disperesed amongst different Power disperesed amongst different

groups – mainly political parties and groups – mainly political parties and pressure groupspressure groups

See the state as an ‘honest broker’ See the state as an ‘honest broker’ or referee.or referee.

The state is seen as acting in the The state is seen as acting in the nation’s interests.nation’s interests.

It may reflect and support the It may reflect and support the interests of different groups at interests of different groups at different times – e.g. tobacco different times – e.g. tobacco industry and anti-smoking groupsindustry and anti-smoking groups

Marxist views of the statesMarxist views of the states

There is a traditional Marxist view of There is a traditional Marxist view of the state but there are variations in the state but there are variations in the Marxist approach.the Marxist approach.

Instrumental View – MilibandInstrumental View – Miliband Structuralism - PoulantzasStructuralism - Poulantzas Hegemonic Marxism - GramsciHegemonic Marxism - Gramsci

Criticisms of the StateCriticisms of the State

1. The Secret State (Shhhh!)1. The Secret State (Shhhh!)

Many aspects of the behaviour of the Many aspects of the behaviour of the state occur in secrecy. Civil servants state occur in secrecy. Civil servants rarely work in public. Judges are not rarely work in public. Judges are not held accountable. held accountable. Security/intelligence services operate Security/intelligence services operate outside the law.outside the law.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GUhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GU7nL0A6ASM7nL0A6ASM

2. New Right and the State2. New Right and the State

The New Right generally do not like The New Right generally do not like the state to play a large role in the state to play a large role in society see diagram p280society see diagram p280

They particularly didn’t like the They particularly didn’t like the notion of the ‘nanny state’ and the notion of the ‘nanny state’ and the rise in a ‘dependency culture’>rise in a ‘dependency culture’>

3. State is Patriarchal3. State is Patriarchal

Feminists argue that all key areas o Feminists argue that all key areas o the state are seen as dominated by the state are seen as dominated by male hierarchies.male hierarchies.

Women make up 19% of all MPs and Women make up 19% of all MPs and 11% of top 100 directorships11% of top 100 directorships

State policy is patriarchalState policy is patriarchal