The State, its Territory and its People

Abstract

The previous chapter looked at the relationships between the state and the late capitalist world-economy, emphasising the tensions between its dual roles as ally of and antagonist to neocolonialism and neoimperialism. In the present chapter attention is turned towards the other major relationship of the state, that with the population of its sovereign territory. The division between the two is in some sense artificial, since many of the interests of the population are concerned with relationships with multinational capital. However, in its threefold spending functions of social investment, social consumption and social expenses, the state plays many roles with regard to its population and territory, and these are outlined here.