Class, Crisis and the State

The idea of "class interest"-the set of social objectives of a given class-has been well explored in socialist thought. But what about the ability to realize these objectives? The complex tension between class interest and achieving class objectives is the guiding theme of Class, Crisis and the State. The book is composed of three lucid and bracing essays, focused on a trio of the most contentious problems of Marxist theory. The first chapter advances a new class map of the United States today, including a rigorous yet dynamic redefinition of the working class. The second part focuses on classical theories of economic crisis in the West, such as underconsumption and financial instability, and their relevance to contemporary economic downturns. A concluding chapter examines the problems of leftist governments coming to power in capitalist states. As leftist forces regroup and ready themselves for new electoral challenges around the world, Class, Crisis and the State remains essential reading.

Table of Contents:
  Chapter 1                          . Methodological Introduction                  Linking Theory to Data in Social Research                    Modes of Determination and Models of Determination 1.   Structural limitation                                                      2.  Selection                                                                          3.   Reproduction/non-reproduction                                        4.   Limits of functional compatibility                          5.   Transformation                                                      6.   Mediation                                                                 Themes of the Book                                                    Chapter 2 The Class Structure of Advanced Capitalist Societies  Poulantzas's Theory of the Structural Determination of Class General Framework                                                      Structural Determination of the Working Class and New Petty Bourgeoisie Structural Determination of the Bourgeoisie Assessment and Critique of Poulantzas's Analysis The Boundary Between the Working Class and the New Petty Bourgeoisie The Class Unity of the New and Traditional Petty Bourgeoisie The Class Boundary of the Bourgeoisie An Alternative Conceptualization of Class Boundaries Contradictory Locations within Class Relations The Processes of Class Relations The Analysis of Contradictory Locations within Class Relations Class Interests and the Definition of Class Positions Immediate and Fundamental Class Interests The Class Location of Positions not Directly Determined by Production Relations Extended Definitions of Classes Class Structure and Class Struggle Class Interests and Class Capacities Class Structure, Class Formation and Class Struggle Conclusion Chapter 3 Historical Transformations of Capitalist Crisis Tendencies Introduction I.   The Meaning of Accumulation 1.   Capitalist Social Relations 2.   Surplus Value II.   Impediments and Contradictions in the Accumulation Process 1.   The Organic Composition of Capital and the Falling Rate of Profit 2.   Underconsumption Theories of Economic Crisis 3.   Theories of the Profit Squeeze 4.   State Expenditures and Accumulation III.   The Development of Capitalism and the Impediments to Accumulation 1.   The Transition from Simple Commodity Production to Expanded Reproduction 2.   The Transition from Primitive Accumulation to Manufacture 3.   The Transition from Manufacture to Machinofacture  4.   The Rise of Consolidation of Monopoly Capital 5.   Advanced Monopoly Capitalism Chapter 4 Bureaucracy and the State Weber's Argument Lenin's Argument      Comparisons      The Determinants of Organizational Structure The Nature of the State and Politics: Elite-Organization versus Class-Structure Organizational Form and Accountability            The Meaning of Contradictions and the Limits on the Possible  Elements of a Synthesis: Class Struggle and Organizational Structure Chapter 5 Conclusion: Socialist Strategies and the State in Advanced Capitalist Societies Bibliography                                        Index