The state is the most massive and significant modern expression of the broader phenomenon of political power. 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 that 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 most significant developments occurring in our times concerning the nature of liberal-democratic regimes: these developments emphasize the growth and diversification of state action, and the resulting disconnection between policy and politics. Poggi considers the distinctive features of one=party systems, and discusses why these systems encountered difficulties in promoting advanced industrial development. The final chapter discusses the challenges set to the state by contemporary developments in military affairs, in the international economy and in the ecological sphere.

This book further develops themes introduced in Poggi's highly successful The Development of the Modern State (1978). It will be required reading for students of politics and sociology, but will also be of interest to postgraduates.

Giancarlo Poggi is Professor of Sociology at the University of Virginia.