17. The Microfoundations of the State and the State-Society Nexus

• In Event: 232 - Informal Discussion Roundtable Session

Abstract

This informal discussion roundtable will engage with the ground-level state structures that directly interact with the society in different cultural and political contexts. Ground-level state structures may include local government structures, public sector organizations, law enforcement agencies, etc.– all the state-related organizations, contacts with which penetrate the daily routine of most people in the contemporary world. Michael Mann's concept of the infrastructural power of the state is closely related to the theme of this roundtable, where we will discuss the microfoundations of this infrastructural power.
 
As opposed to seeing the state bureaucracies as a player in policymaking process, the discussion at this roundtable will focus on the ground-level contacts between the state and the society and on the political and social consequences of these interactions. These consequences may vary from enhancing the resilience of an authoritarian regime to reinforcing inequalities in the society. The cultural and political contexts in which the ground-level state interacts with the society vary substantially. The participants of the discussion will be encouraged to think about the ground-level state not only in the context of capitalist democracies, but also outside of it. One of the goals of the discussion may be distinguishing common patterns of how the ground-level state works across the developed and developing world as well as in more authoritarian and more democratic countries.

Author

• Natalia Forrat, Northwestern University