If one takes into account the above definition of politics and aims to study these interactions then it must be determined where they occur. Politics cannot be pinned down to a single aspect of life, it occurs throughout society, it involves every aspect of our lives, but it is especially concentrated in the modern nation state. It i

The second approach to be described is elite theory. The key to this approach is the idea that the history of politics is the history of elite domination. Elites will always exist in any form of social organisation and their nature will determine the properties of the society in which they exist. There are a number of different interpretations of elite theory also but these are the central ideas. Elite theorists reject Marxist notions that the economy is the ultimate determinant of societal dynamics and that society is evolving towards a classless structure with an equal distribution of power. They also assert the autonomy of the state from social and economic forces.

I believe that the Marxist theory of the state better explains reality than the preceding two theories. The primary reason for this is that it identifies the underlying determining structures of the modern liberal democratic state. It places the state in historical context as the enforcer of a system of private property. It recognises the importance of capitalism in shaping our everyday lives and the state and the pairing of this with Gramsci's concept of hegemony brings back the ideological or unseen elements of power. Both pluralism and elitism miss these key elements of our current social organisation although in their more contemporary forms they attempt to rectify these problems. Pluralism has a number of problems associated with it: it makes a distinction between economic and political power and in doing so misses the important relationship between the two in a liberal democracy; in assuming the neutrality of the state it misses the privileged position given to business due to their ownership and control of private property and the means of production; by concentrating upon the observable it misses the unseen ideological dimension of struggle and domination between different groups; finally it fails to recognise groups that fall outside the underlying norms and ideals of the system who may be subjected to long term repression.

s the nation state that "establishes sovereign jurisdiction within defined boundaries...the state commands supreme power in that it stands above all other associations and groups in society; its laws demand the compliance of all those who live within its boundaries." For this reason the state, or more precisely three competing theories of the state, will be the focus of this paper. It will initially outline the key features of t

Some common words found in the essay are:
Political Science, Antonio Gramsci, Investment MAI, , liberal democratic, marxist theory, private property, elite theory, civil society, political science, social organisation, pluralism elitism, control private property, pluralism elitism marxism, autonomy social economic, makes distinction, private industry, ownership control private, social economic forces,
Approximate Word count = 1651
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)