Poulantzas and the Capitalist State

Abstract

Perhaps it is appropriate to make one or two preliminary observations about this critical article. In issue 58 of New Left Review (November-December 1969), Nicos Poulantzas wrote a very stimulating and generous review of my book The State in Capitalist Society2; and in the following issue of the magazine3 I discussed some of his comments and tried to respond to some of his criticisms. This debate attracted significant attention, both in this country and abroad: it was obvious that, appropriately or not, we touched on issues concerning the state that Marxists and others considered important.