States in times of war

The 2008 financial crisis, the 2020 covid pandemic, the 2022 Ukraine war and energy crisis, the 2025 tariffs introduced by the US, the waves of Israeli and US wars in the Middle East, have led to a greater activism of States – all over the world - in a wide range of fields. The idea of a ‘return of the State’ as a key actors after decades of reduction of its role has been discussed. The course investigates these processes with an interdisciplinary approach, discussing:

- the theories on the relationships between the State and capitalism, in different historical phases and in a world system perspective;

- the ways neoliberalism since the 1980s has forced a reduction of the role of the State in politics and economics;

- the ways neoliberal globalisation has reduced the powers of nation states, in a context of reorganisation of production systems, greater power of global finance and new forms of governance of the world system;

- the relevance of the military power of States, their function – both domestic and international – and the developments in the context of the current return of armed conflicts;

- the case of Europe – and the European Union in particular – as a specific case of evolution of the State system, with particular forms of supranational integration and the recent trajectory towards ‘Rearming Europe’;

- the ways in which States’ politics have evolved in democratic contexts, including the constitutional arrangements, the party systems and electoral dynamics, the decision making processes, the policy contents, the forms of political contention and social movement activisms, with particular attention to global issues:

- the role of States in international relations – with the decline of US hegemony, the rise of China, the current period of ‘systemic chaos’ - with the return of power politics, the use of military force and the uncertainties on the future world order.

The changing roles of States will be examined with a parallel consideration of these different dimensions – political, economic, military - in the national, European and international contexts.

The implications for theories, conceptual frameworks, interpretation of specific policies will be discussed. Specific attention will be devoted to the questions of democracy, participation and social activism that shape the political dynamics and the evolving role of States.