Session 4-The modern state

The examination of the functions, responsibilities and power of the state in modern society makes for a very interesting analysis. Far from the utopian ideal of Marx, the state tends to exhibit both leviathan and neo pluralist characteristics. While in states such as Pakistan, state apparatuses such as the military and bureaucracy are strong, in more developed, industrialized countries such as the United States, business and capitalist interests seem to be a predominant factor in influencing public policy.

 As Pareto argued, the authority of the state is exercised by a group of select individuals, in Pareto’s words “the elite”. These elite encompass both the political and military elite who control public affairs on the forefront and the economic and cultural elite who have indirect power. An example of this can be found in the Forbes Magazine article  (published in December 2009) entitled The World's Most Powerful People, in which Forbes claimed to list the 67 most powerful people in the world. This list includes industrialists such as Mukesh Ambani and mass media owners such as Rupert Murdoch and proves that a small minority has control over the frameworks of the state.

However, the autonomy of the state itself is questionable in the context of the twenty first century. Factors such as globalization and privatization have reduced the power of the traditional nation state. It can be argued, for example, that transnational organizations such as the EU and the UN have a major impact on the state’s foreign policy as well as its trading decisions.

In conclusion, although it can be claimed that the state is predominantly controlled by a small group of elite, influences such as globalization have made the extent of their authority questionable, leading to a more complex examination of the nature of the state.