The Democratic State

by Roger Benjamin (Editor), Stephen L. Elkin (Editor)

Overview

One outcome of the declining economic growth and rising political conflict of the 1980s has been a renewed interest in political theory and increased questioning about the durability of the capitalist state. More and more political scientists are critically assessing the prevailing pluralist vision of the relationships between the state and the economy. Is the capitalist state able to adjust to crises and contradictions? What is the role of the state in changing—deteriorating—economic circumstances? How should we understand competing interpretations on the relative autonomy of the state, the nature of property rights, the legitimation crisis?

This collection of five original essays by seven of the best-known political-economy theorists addresses the interconnections between the economy and the polity and embodies the leading theoretical approaches to the political economy of the state.

Open access edition funded by the National Endowment for Humanities and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Humanities Open Book Program.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780700630714
Publisher:	University Press of Kansas
Publication date:	09/12/2024
Series:	Studies in Government and Public Policy
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	288
File size:	1 MB

About the Author

Roger Benjamin was president of the Council for Aid to Education (CAE) from 2005 to 2019 and was formerly provost of the University of Minnesota and the University of Pittsburgh. He has authored, coauthored, or co-edited nine books, including The Democratic Purposes of Education and The New Limits of Education Policy: Avoiding a Tragedy of the Commons.

Stephen L. Elkin is professor emeritus of government and politics at the University of Maryland and founding editor of the journal The Good Society. He is the author or editor of seven books, including Reconstructing the Commercial Republic: Constitutional Design after Madison.

Table of Contents

List of Tables

1. Between Liberalism and Capitalism: An Introduction to the Democratic State, Stephen L. Elkin

2. The Capitalist State in Context, Roger Benjamin

3. Contemporary Marxism and the Autonomy, Efficacy, and Legitimacy of the Capitalist State, David Braybrooke

4. Public Interest, Private Interest, and the Democratic Polity, Peter H. Aranson and Peter C. Ordeshook

5. Pluralism in Its Place: State and Regime in Liberal Democracy, Stephen L. Elkin

6. Political Futures, Norman Furniss

List of References Cited

Contributors

Index

Editorial Reviews

"The volume (with index and extensive bibliography) is thought provoking."—Choice

"Belongs in all academic libraries."—American Political Science Review

"These interesting essays serve as a thoughtful reminder of the complex issues related to democracy and the modern capitalist state."—Ethics

"An outstanding set of essays. This highly informative, balanced, and practical anthology can be of considerable value to political sociologists."—Contemporary Sociology

"These are state-of-the-art essays by some of the foremost thinkers in this area. They provide incisive, insightful, theoretical contributions. The book will be invaluable to the large group of political scientists, economists, and sociologists working on political economy."—Jennifer Hochschild, author of What’s Fair? American Beliefs about Distributive Justice and The New American Dilemma: Liberal Democracy and School Desegregation

"This is very much at the ‘cutting edge’ of current discussion of the theory of the state. It is not merely a codification of existing knowledge. Each essay takes us into new and unexplored terrain."—Charles W. Anderson, author of Statecraft: An Introduction to Political Choice and Judgment

From the Publisher