Globalization today: At the borders of class and state theory

Abstract

Much of the literature to date is a simple rejection or blanket acceptance of strong versions of the transnational capitalist class and transnational capitalist state. A more nuanced middle ground suggests the problematic uses of these concepts stems from failure to distinguish the multiple ways Marx employed the term class. A better positioning allows for the relevance of a transnational class/state framing going back centuries in an understanding of capitalism as a world system, and application of these terms in the current conjuncture. Clarity is gained by moving beyond a dichotomy contrasting national and transnational capitalist class concepts, instead understanding the central questions as the way states and capitalist fractions position themselves within the globalized political economy.