With reference to the numerous conflicting views about the role of a state, I am more inclined to agree with the school of thought that suggests that the state should act as an arbitrator in society, which is the pluralist theory of the state. This theory, however, is based on the large assumption that the state is neutral, holds no bias and has no interests of it's own, which is hardly the case anywhere around the globe.
The key issue in countries such as Pakistan is that the entire power of the state is concentrated in the hands of a few wealthy and influential individuals within organisations that make up the state. What this does is hinders the state from performing its primary role, which is to work in order to fulfill the needs of the public. Instead, the state is functioned in a way to accommodate the personal agendas of these dominant individuals, while interests of the common man are overlooked. So it is these parties that act as the leviathans in such a structure.
To overcome this problem, Pakistan needs to rethink its power structure in a way that promises a more equal distribution of influence to all entities of the state. It is only after this happens that the state will be able to perform the its rightful role as the servant and not the master of society.
The key issue in countries such as Pakistan is that the entire power of the state is concentrated in the hands of a few wealthy and influential individuals within organisations that make up the state. What this does is hinders the state from performing its primary role, which is to work in order to fulfill the needs of the public. Instead, the state is functioned in a way to accommodate the personal agendas of these dominant individuals, while interests of the common man are overlooked. So it is these parties that act as the leviathans in such a structure.
To overcome this problem, Pakistan needs to rethink its power structure in a way that promises a more equal distribution of influence to all entities of the state. It is only after this happens that the state will be able to perform the its rightful role as the servant and not the master of society.
3 comments:
I think one can often mix up the state and the government.When you say that leviathans are the parties i agree up to certain extent. But with that being said what i think in Pakistan the case is that we have people in the government that make political appointments mostly incompetent to the major state structures that carry out their "job" meaning work for or promote on their agendas..
As I pointed out above, by parties I meant certain individuals within the state. As we have experienced in the past, individual personalities do possess leviathan-like powers. For example, during Zia ul Haqs regime, he appointed several people he personally trusted to powerful state positions so he could exercise tremendous power for his own use.
I think you're right that the pluralist theory of the state is inadequate when describing Pakistan today, but the neopluralist theory recognizes that particular interest groups end up using the state. Neopluralist theory looks more at how businesses harness the power of the state for their own ends, but in Pakistan I think you can make the case that powerful individuals/families do the same thing.
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