Summary Of "Democracy, Agency And State" By Guillermo O'Donnell

We have summarized here the essential of this book by the author.

DEMOCRACY, AGENCY AND STATE. THEORY WITH COMPARATIVE INTENT

CHAPTER 3 THE STATE: DEFINITION, DIMENSIONS AND HISTORICAL EMERGENCE

III.1. On the definition of State

ODONNELL DEFINES THE STATE AS AN ASSOCIATION WITH A TERRITORIAL BASE COMPOSED OF INSTITUTIONS AND SOCIAL RELATIONS, WHICH CONTROLS THE TERRITORY AND ITS INHABITANTS. THESE INSTITUTIONS CLAIM THE MONOPOLY IN THE LEGITIMATE AUTHORIZATION OF THE USE OF PHYSICAL COERCION

O'DONNELL ADDS A NUANCE TO WEBER'S CLASSIC DEFINITION, that THE STATE "successfully claims a monopoly on the legitimate use of physical force." According to the Argentine political scientist, "what the State claims is the monopoly of the legitimate authorization of the use of physical force. Only as a consequence of this does it also claim a monopoly on the legitimate use of that force.
In the modern State, the ONLY POSSIBLE SOURCE OF VALIDITY, the legitimacy of that authorization, are its LEGAL RULES.
Thus, the State processes and condenses powers that emerge from society, and in turn generates its own powers, returning public policies to society.
Let us now see the four dimensions of the State that the author finds.

Dettagli