Globalization Today: At the Borders of Class and State Theory

Abstract

Abstract Much of the literature to date suggests simple rejection or blanket acceptance of strong versions of the constructs transnational capitalist class (TCC) and transnational capitalist state (TCS). A more nuanced middle ground suggests that much of the problematic uses of these concepts stems from failure to distinguish the multiple ways Marx employed the term class and the centrality of internal relations and distinction among levels of analysis central to his intellectual project. A better positioning allows for the relevance of a TCC/TCS 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 question as the way states and capitalist fractions position themselves within the globalized political economy.