The Transformation of the State: Beyond the Myth of Retreat

by Georg Sørensen

Recent years have seen a range of theoretical challenges to traditional notions of state sovereignty and a burgeoning debate about the power of the state in the face of globalization and new forms of governance. In this important new text, Georg Sørensen provides a systematic assessment of the contemporary state, steering a middle course between those who argue the state is in retreat and their critics. In so doing he sheds new light on just what is actually changing in the nature of sovereign statehood, on changes in the relative power of different states and on the changing relationship between the domestic and external aspects of state power.

213 pages, Paperback

First published March 4, 2003

Reviews

[Bethany]

I read this book for one of my favorite classes (Capitalism, Nationalism, and Democracy) - an interesting and thought-provoking read that tackles the question of the validity of traditional "state" models in today's era of globalism and increasing interconnectedness.