Taking Back Control?: States and State Systems After Globalism

Explore the complex relationship between globalism and democracy in this insightful analysis of state systems in the post-globalization era. The book delves into the era of hyperglobalization, characterized by boundless capitalist expansion and the rise of neoliberal politics aimed at centralizing states and replacing national governance with global or supranational structures like the European Union.

The author examines the 'New World Order' proclaimed by the United States, its ungovernable nature through democratic means, and its reliance on technocracy and mercatocracy, which ultimately failed to deliver political stability, social legitimacy, and international peace. The book highlights the economic and institutional crises that fueled political countermovements, halting the upward transfer of state authority.

Key Themes:

• The ongoing conflict between globalism and democracy.
• The dynamics of centralization versus decentralization in state systems.
• The connection between global capitalism and its social and democratic regulation.
• The potential for states and societies to regain control over their collective destiny.
• A renewed theory of the state in political economy, inspired by Karl Polanyi and John Maynard Keynes.
• Outlines for a state system supporting democratic governance and peaceful cooperation between sovereign nation-states.

Specifications:

• Author: Wolfgang Streeck
• Publisher: Verso Books
• Publication Date: September 8, 2026
• Language: English
• Print Length: 416 pages
• Binding: Paperback
• Dimensions: 12.83 x 2.54 x 19.76 cm
• Weight: 320 g
• ISBN-10: 1839767308
• ISBN-13: 978-1839767302

This book offers a critical examination of contemporary political economy and provides a theoretical framework for understanding the future of state systems in a globalized world.