The capitalist state is the
state
State may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Literature
* ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State
* ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States
* ''Our S ...
, its functions and the form of organization it takes within
capitalist socioeconomic systems.
[Jessop, Bob (January 1977). "Recent Theories of the Capitalist State". ''Soviet Studies''. 1: 4. pp. 353–373.] This concept is often used interchangeably with the concept of the modern state, though despite their common functions there are many recognized differences in sociological characteristics among capitalist states.
[Morishima, Michio (1976)]
''The Economic Theory of Modern Society''
New York: Cambridge University Press. p. 1. .
The primary functions of the capitalist state are to provide a legal framework and infrastructural framework conducive to
business
Business is the practice of making one's living or making money by producing or buying and selling products (such as goods and services). It is also "any activity or enterprise entered into for profit."
Having a business name does not separ ...
enterprise and the
accumulation of capital
Capital accumulation is the dynamic that motivates the pursuit of profit, involving the investment of money or any financial asset with the goal of increasing the initial monetary value of said asset as a financial return whether in the form o ...
. Different normative theories exist on the necessary and appropriate function of the state in a
capitalist economy
Capitalism is an economic system based on the private ownership of the means of production and their operation for profit. Central characteristics of capitalism include capital accumulation, competitive markets, price system, private pr ...
, with proponents of ''
laissez-faire
''Laissez-faire'' ( ; from french: laissez faire , ) is an economic system in which transactions between private groups of people are free from any form of economic interventionism (such as subsidies) deriving from special interest groups ...
'' favoring a state limited to the provision of
public goods and safeguarding private property rights while proponents of
interventionism stress the importance of regulation, intervention and macroeconomic stabilization for providing a favorable environment for the accumulation of capital and business.
Thus, thinkers in the
Marxist
Marxism is a left-wing to far-left method of socioeconomic analysis that uses a materialist interpretation of historical development, better known as historical materialism, to understand class relations and social conflict and a dialecti ...
tradition often refer to the capitalist state as the
dictatorship of the bourgeoisie. Thinkers in the
instrumental Marxist tradition stress the role of policymakers and political elites sharing a common business or class background, leading to their decisions reflecting their class interest. This is differentiated from more contemporary notions of state capture by specific business interests for the benefit of those specific businesses and not the ruling class or capitalist system as a whole, which is variously referred to as
crony capitalism
Crony capitalism, sometimes called cronyism, is an economic system in which businesses thrive not as a result of free enterprise, but rather as a return on money amassed through collusion between a business class and the political class. This i ...
or
corporatocracy
Corporatocracy (, from corporate and el, -κρατία, translit=-kratía, lit=domination by; short form corpocracy) is an economic, political and judicial system controlled by corporations or corporate interests.
The concept has been used ...
.
According to
Dylan John Riley
Dylan John Riley (born 1971) is Professor of Sociology at the University of California, Berkeley, and is on the editorial committee of the ''New Left Review
The ''New Left Review'' is a British bimonthly journal covering world politics, economy, ...
,
Nicos Poulantzas argued that "all capitalist States had the dual task of preventing the political organization of the dominated classes, and of organizing the
dominant class".
See also
*
Big government
Big government is a pejorative term for a government or public sector that is considered excessively large or unconstitutionally involved in certain areas of public policy or the private sector.
The term may also be used specifically in relatio ...
*
Capital accumulation
Capital accumulation is the dynamic that motivates the pursuit of profit, involving the investment of money or any financial asset with the goal of increasing the initial monetary value of said asset as a financial return whether in the form ...
*
Capitalism
Capitalism is an economic system based on the private ownership of the means of production and their operation for profit. Central characteristics of capitalism include capital accumulation, competitive markets, price system, private ...
*
Capitalist mode of production
*
Communist state
A communist state, also known as a Marxist–Leninist state, is a one-party state that is administered and governed by a communist party guided by Marxism–Leninism. Marxism–Leninism was the state ideology of the Soviet Union, the Comint ...
*
Corporatocracy
Corporatocracy (, from corporate and el, -κρατία, translit=-kratía, lit=domination by; short form corpocracy) is an economic, political and judicial system controlled by corporations or corporate interests.
The concept has been used ...
*
Economic interventionism
Economic interventionism, sometimes also called state interventionism, is an economic policy position favouring government intervention in the market process with the intention of correcting market failures and promoting the general welfare of ...
*
Liberal democracy
Liberal democracy is the combination of a liberal political ideology that operates under an indirect democratic form of government. It is characterized by elections between multiple distinct political parties, a separation of powers into ...
*
Socialist state
A socialist state, socialist republic, or socialist country, sometimes referred to as a workers' state or workers' republic, is a sovereign state constitutionally dedicated to the establishment of socialism. The term '' communist state'' is ...
*
Sovereign state
A sovereign state or sovereign country, is a political entity represented by one central government that has supreme legitimate authority over territory. International law defines sovereign states as having a permanent population, defined ter ...
*
State capitalism
State capitalism is an economic system in which the state undertakes business and commercial (i.e. for-profit) economic activity and where the means of production are nationalized as state-owned enterprises (including the processes of capital ...
References
Citations
Bibliography
*
Further reading
* Barak, Gregg (ed.) (1991)
''Crimes by the Capitalist State: An Introduction to State Criminality'' Albany, New York: State University of New York Press. .
* Duncan, Graeme
''Democracy and the Capitalist State'' New York: Cambridge University Press. .
* Jessop, Bob (2002)
''The Future of the Capitalist State'' Cambridge: Polity Press. .
* Jessop, Bob (1990)
''State Theory: Putting the Capitalist State in its Place'' University Park: Pennsylvania State University Press. .
* Saville, John (1994)
''The Consolidation of the Capitalist State, 1800-1850'' London and Boulder, Colorado: Pluto Press. .
* Szymanski, Albert (1978)
''The Capitalist State and the Politics of Class'' Cambridge, Massachusetts: Winthrop Publishers. {{ISBN, 978-0876261057.
Capitalism
Forms of government
Political science terminology
Marxist terminology