SOC 6846 - Political Sociology

This graduate-level seminar provides an overview of macro-sociological research on the national state, with an emphasis on key theoretical developments and empirical applications. The existence of states seems natural, as does their authority to collect taxes, raise armies, and regulate economies. This seminar seeks to "de-naturalize" the state. The approach is macro and comparative; the objective is to trace the emergence, diffusion and functions of modern states and the state system. Possible topics include formation and expansion; the nature and practice of sovereignty; the rise and transformation of citizenship; the role of social movements in shaping states and societies; the relationship between states and markets; the development and possible decline of welfare states; and the future of the state in a globalizing world.