Gianfranco Poggi 
The State 
Its Nature, Development and Prospects

This book offers a fresh, accessible and original interpretation of
the modern state, concentrating particularly on the emergence and
nature of democracy.

Poggi presents an extensive conceptual portrait of the state,
distinguishing its early characteristics from those which have
developed subsequently and are apparent in contemporary states. He
reviews the ‘historical career’ of the state, from the dissolution
of feudal forms of rule to the advent of modern, liberal-democratic
systems. Poggi also discusses the nature of liberal-democratic
regimes, and the distinctive features of the Soviet one-party
system. Finally, the chapter discusses the challenges set to the
state by contemporary developments in military affairs, in the
international economy, and in the ecological sphere.

Table of Content

Foreword.

Part I:.

1. Social Power and its Political Form.

2. The Nature of the Modern State.

3. The Development of the Modern State (1).

4. The Development of the Modern State (2).

5. Controversies About the State: Attempting an Appraisal.

6. Controversies About the State: Attempting an Explanation.

Part II:.

7. Liberal Democracy in the 20th Century (1).

8. Liberal Democracy in the 20th Century (2).

9. A New Type of State.

10. Contemporary Challenges to the State.

About the author

Gianfranco Poggi is the author of The State: Its Nature, Development and Prospects, published by Wiley.