The state

Scholars have long argued over what a state actually is, and that question sits at the center of how modern societies are organized. Debate also surrounds how much the state shapes everyday behavior, whether it can be neutral, how it has changed over time, and what forms it takes in practice.

This three-volume collection is edited by John Hall, who writes widely on the subject. Rather than offering a single argument, it gathers and organizes the major writings on the state into a structured guide to these disputes.

It is intended for researchers and students who want a dependable, wide-ranging overview of the state as a subject of study.