Critical Reflections on the Rise of the Transnational State in Current Global Affairs (original) (raw)
Related papers
2011
In the last 40 years, various authors have argued that a new transnational capitalist class (TCC) has emerged, which operates across the borders of national states. The approaches in question are debated widely in the social sciences, not only because of their theoretical assumptions and the empirical evidence provided, but also because international power relations are changing, not least in the context of the current crisis. The main claim of the authors in question appears to be validated by the advancing interna-tionalization of capital relations, and by the internationalization of the state. It appears that these processes have gained traction with the neoliberal transformation of capitalism. If this claim is true, it follows that there are far-reaching changes to state structures, the international state system, and the trajectory of social conflicts and struggles. Alterations in class relations are specifically important because they lead to new configurations of relations of forces 1 and power apparatuses, and, in a second step, to new arrangements of domination and regulation. The aim of this article is to review the approaches in question critically. We assume that existing theories of transnational class formation are characterized by significant weaknesses, both in terms of basic class and state theoretical assumptions, and in terms of accounting for the role of state apparatuses in class formation. For this reason, we have chosen Poulantzas's 6 Studies in Political Economy 88 FA L L 2 0 1 1 7
Globalization Today: At the Borders of Class and State Theory
Science & Society, 2009
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.
Transnational Hegemony and the Formation of a Transnational Capitalist Class
In this study I analyze the global economy through a transnational historical materialist approach. I attempt to use a trajectory in which globalization is a new stage of capitalist development. The state, I argue, is no longer the central actor in capitalist relations, but a conglomeration of class forces and social relations embodied in transnational institutions, which institutionalize the hegemony of a transnational capitalist class (TCC). Furthermore, a transnational-state (TNS) apparatus is a better model of the institutionalized class forces and social relations that reproduce the transnational capitalist hegemony. This study has four parts. First, I will discuss the formation of a transnational capitalist class. Second, I will empirically demonstrate using various economic and financial indicators that a transnational capitalist class is emerging as the main actor in International Relations. Third, I will show the makings of a transnational state and its role as a collective authority for a global ruling class. Fourth, I will empirically demonstrate using a social network analysis a web of deeply intertwined transnational capitalists.
Since the end of the Cold War, scholars from numerous disciplines have theorized the rise of the "transnational" fraction of the capitalist class (Cox 1987;. Summarizing this concept, Leslie argues that the "transnational capitalist class" (TCC) "operate[s] across state borders to further the interests of global capital rather than of any real or imagined nation-state." Yet this body of literature suffers from significant lacunae. First, it mostly focuses on capitalists from the Global North, and largely overlooks the role played by their Southern counterparts in the global capitalist system. Second, transnational capitalists are conceived almost entirely in terms of corporations, while ignoring other capitalist actors. Finally, this literature presents insufficient empirical evidence to demonstrate that such a class actually exists. Further, this limited evidence refers almost exclusively to objective, material indicators such as "overlapping elite affiliations of corporate directors" (Carroll 2010). Yet these scholars do not interrogate the subjective, ideational basis of a would-be TCC. Building off of this analysis, this paper suggests avenues for advancing the study of transnational capitalists. These include a discussion of evidentiary standards, as well as the need for empirical research focusing on identity.
The theory of an emergent transnational state (TNS), as coined by sociologist William I. Robinson (2001), claims that through globalization a nascent political, juridical and regulatory network is coming into existence worldwide. This notion rests upon the idea that a dominant social force, a transnational capitalist class (TCC), propels globalization through transnational corporations (TNCs) (Robinson & Harris 2000). The TCC, to promote and ensure its power, requires a concomitant political project. Such a political project would involve, for example: (i) promoting investor confidence in the global economy, (ii) setting up mechanisms and institutions for responding to economic, political, and military crises that threaten the stability necessary for global markets, and (iii) establishing a degree of macroeconomic policy uniformity across borders.
In the last 40 years, various authors have argued that a new transnational capitalist class (TCC) has emerged, which operates across the borders of national states. The approaches in question are debated widely in the social sciences not only because of their theoretical assumptions and the empirical evidence provided, but also because international power relations are changing, not least in the context of the current crisis. The main claim of the authors in question appears to be validated by the advancing internationalization of capital relations, and by the internationalization of the state. It appears that these processes have gained traction with the neoliberal transformation of capitalism. If this claim is true, it follows that there are far-reaching changes to state structures, the international state system, and the trajectory of social conflicts and struggles. Alterations in class relations are specifically important because they lead to new configurations of relations of forces1 and power apparatuses, and, in a second step, to new arrangements of domination and regulation. The aim of this article is to review of the approaches in question critically. We assume that existing theories of transnational class formation are characterized by significant weaknesses, both in terms of basic class and state theoretical assumptions, and in terms of accounting for the role of state apparatuses in class formation. For this reason, we have chosen Poulantzas's approach to class and state theory as our starting point. In our view, the works of Poulantzas, both in its theoretical and methodological dimensions, are still highly relevant today – despite the fact that they were written during the beginning stages of the crisis of Fordism in the 1970s. In this article, we reconstruct Poulantzas in order to improve our understanding of current class and power relations and to make sense of the term 'transnational capitalist class'. Obviously, this also involves making revisions, especially with respect to the internationalization of capital relations and state apparatuses. Our goal is to further develop Critical IPE by providing a refined understanding of international class relations. First, we will sketch out the theoretical and empirical assumptions guiding our analysis of neo-liberal capitalism. We will present (a) key insights of relational state and class theories (part 1), and (b) the findings of empirical studies that concern the internationalization of production (part 2). This is followed by a critical discussion of conceptions of the transnational capitalist class and the transnational state (part 3). After that, we will explain the concept of the internal bourgeoisie, which is located at the heart of our account of transnational class formation (part 4), and we will discuss whether an transnational power bloc is emerging (part 5). Finally, we will analyze the effects of the current, global economic crisis on transnational class structures (Part 6).