Rival Theories Of State

The state; a universal form of political organization around the world, has many definitions. However people also have different opinions on what the state should be. There are several rival theories of state and each have differing views. These theories are the pluralist state, the capitalist state, the leviathan state and the patriarchal state. The two that will be discussed are the pluralist state which is based on Pluralism; a belief that power in modern societies is widely and evenly distributed, and the leviathan state which is defined as a totalitarian state having vast bureaucracy. In addition to the rival theories, there are also state forms that define the role of the state. Society would be best organized under the form of Minimalist …show more content…
They are different because the pluralist state sees the state as unbiased or favoring any interest or group. Furthermore, the state does not have an interest of its own that is separate from that of society. In the text Heywood further expands this view by quoting Schwarzmantel and stating (1994) “the state is the servant of society and not its master” (p. 62). This further quote leads to how the state and how the state can thus be portrayed as a pincushion that passively absorbs pressures and forces exerted upon it. The leviathan state on the other hand believe the state to be an overbearing caretaker that deems it important to interfere with the everyday life of the people. Both theories are also different because the pluralists believe that though the state is an impartial umpire it can be bent to the will of the government at any given moment. The leviathans however, believe that government is dominated by state. This means that the state elite is able to shape the way the elected officials think. Both are similar in the sense that they both stem from a liberal background. In addition, the leviathan and pluralist both see the state as a servant to the society however both are still related to the …show more content…
This is because if there was no order things would be very chaotic, the state is meant to be a protective entity that provides peace and maintains social order so that people can live their daily lives how they see fit. In the text Heywood (2013) cites John Locke’s famous simile “The state acts as a night watchman, whose services are called upon only when orderly existence is threatened.” (p .67). This basically explains how the states let the people live their lives while keeping watch in the background, waiting till when danger shows