Debates about the role and nature of the state are at the heart of modern politics. However, the state itself remains notoriously difficult to define, and the term is subject to a range of different interpretations.

In this book, distinguished state theorist Bob Jessop provides a critical introduction to the state as both a concept and a reality. He lucidly guides readers through all the major accounts of the state, and examines competing efforts to relate the state to other features of social organization. Essential themes in the analysis of the state are explored in full, including state formation, periodization, the re-scaling of the state and the state's future. Throughout, Jessop clearly defines key terms, from hegemony and coercion to government and governance. He also analyses what we mean when we speak about 'normal'
and 'exceptional' states, and states that are 'failed' or 'rogue'.

Combining an accessible style with expert sensitivity to the complexities of the state, this short introduction will be core reading for students and scholars of politics and sociology, as well as anyone interested in the changing role of the state in contemporary societies.

关于国家的作用和性质的辩论是现代政治的核心。然而，国家本身仍然是出了名的难以定义，而且这一术语受到一系列不同解释的影响。

在这本书中，杰出的国家理论家鲍勃-杰索普对作为一种概念和现实的国家进行了批判性的介绍。他清晰地引导读者了解关于国家的所有主要说法，并审查了将国家与社会组织的其他特征联系起来的竞争性努力。对国家分析的基本主题进行了全面探讨，包括国家的形成、周期化、国家规模的重新划分以及国家的未来。在整个过程中，杰索普清楚地定义了关键术语，从霸权和胁迫到政府和治理。他还分析了当我们谈论 "正常 "和 "特殊 "国家以及国家的时候，我们意味着什么。

和 "特殊 "国家，以及 "失败 "或 "无赖 "的国家时的含义。

这本简短的介绍结合了平易近人的风格和对国家复杂性的专业敏感性，将成为政治学和社会学学生和学者以及对国家在当代社会中不断变化的角色感兴趣的人的核心读物。