The latest edition of this well-established and highly regarded textbook continues to provide the clearest and most comprehensive introduction to the modern state. It examines the state from its historical origins at the birth of modernity to its current jeopardized position in the globalized politics of the twenty-first century. Subjects covered include: the nation-state in its historical context; state and economy; states and societies; states and citizens; states within the international system; and 'rogue' and failed states.