Elites, Classes and States. Potentials and Limits of Fred Block's Neostatism
This article examines the potential and limitations of the neo-statism proposed by American sociologist and researcher Fred Block to explain the relationships between the State, political elites, and social classes. Since the 1970s, Block has argued that the State should be understood as an independ...
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Online |
| Language: | spa |
| Published: |
Centro de Investigaciones y Estudios sobre Cultura y Sociedad
2025
|
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://revistas.unc.edu.ar/index.php/astrolabio/article/view/45530 |
| _version_ | 1838319142874120192 |
|---|---|
| author | Orovitz Sanmartino, Jorge |
| author_facet | Orovitz Sanmartino, Jorge |
| author_sort | Orovitz Sanmartino, Jorge |
| collection | Portal de Revistas |
| description | This article examines the potential and limitations of the neo-statism proposed by American sociologist and researcher Fred Block to explain the relationships between the State, political elites, and social classes. Since the 1970s, Block has argued that the State should be understood as an independent actor, and thus developed a theory on the ability of state managers to act autonomously in crisis contexts, while maintaining an ambiguous and shifting relationship with social classes and groups. This mechanism can help explain not only the autonomy of fascist regimes or Latin American populisms, but also accumulation regimes based on the welfare state. Block shows how, throughout the 20th century, the State has played an increasingly important role in the economy, imposing regulations and limitations on capital, to preserve social order and foster development. Based on this argument, Block dismantles the myth of market self-regulation, showing that accumulation regimes always rely on an institutional architecture where the State plays a central role.
However, limitations in his analysis are also identified, particularly in his tendency to attribute to political elites a level of rationality and cohesion that does not always correspond to reality, where internal conflicts are deeper than Block acknowledges. This article aims to contribute to the theoretical debate on the State and elites by reviewing the explanatory capacity of neo-statism in different historical and social contexts.
|
| format | Online |
| id | oai:ojs.revistas.unc.edu.ar:article-45530 |
| institution | Universidad Nacional de Cordoba |
| language | spa |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| publisher | Centro de Investigaciones y Estudios sobre Cultura y Sociedad |
| record_format | ojs |
| spelling | oai:ojs.revistas.unc.edu.ar:article-455302025-07-15T18:17:20Z Elites, Classes and States. Potentials and Limits of Fred Block's Neostatism Elites, clases y Estados. Potencialidades y límites del neoestatismo de Fred Block Orovitz Sanmartino, Jorge state theory neo-statism political elites social classes teoria del Estado neoestatismo elites políticas clases sociales Teoria do Estado neoestatismo elites políticas classes sociais This article examines the potential and limitations of the neo-statism proposed by American sociologist and researcher Fred Block to explain the relationships between the State, political elites, and social classes. Since the 1970s, Block has argued that the State should be understood as an independent actor, and thus developed a theory on the ability of state managers to act autonomously in crisis contexts, while maintaining an ambiguous and shifting relationship with social classes and groups. This mechanism can help explain not only the autonomy of fascist regimes or Latin American populisms, but also accumulation regimes based on the welfare state. Block shows how, throughout the 20th century, the State has played an increasingly important role in the economy, imposing regulations and limitations on capital, to preserve social order and foster development. Based on this argument, Block dismantles the myth of market self-regulation, showing that accumulation regimes always rely on an institutional architecture where the State plays a central role. However, limitations in his analysis are also identified, particularly in his tendency to attribute to political elites a level of rationality and cohesion that does not always correspond to reality, where internal conflicts are deeper than Block acknowledges. This article aims to contribute to the theoretical debate on the State and elites by reviewing the explanatory capacity of neo-statism in different historical and social contexts. Este artículo examina las potencialidades y los límites del neoestatismo propuesto por el sociólogo e investigador estadounidense Fred Block para explicar las relaciones entre el Estado, las elites políticas y las clases sociales. Desde los años setenta, Block ha argumentado que el Estado debe ser comprendido como un actor independiente, desarrollando una teoría sobre la capacidad de los gerentes estatales para actuar con autonomía en contextos de crisis, asumiendo una relación ambigua y cambiante con las clases y grupos de la sociedad. Este tipo de mecanismo puede servir para explicar no sólo la autonomía de regímenes fascistas o los populismos latinoamericanos, sino también regímenes de acumulación basados en el Estado de bienestar. Block muestra cómo, a lo largo del siglo XX, el Estado ha adquirido una mayor presencia en la economía, imponiendo regulaciones y limitaciones al capital para preservar el orden social y fomentar el desarrollo. Sobre la base de este argumento, Block desmonta el mito de la autorregulación del mercado, mostrando que los regímenes de acumulación siempre dependen de una arquitectura institucional en la que el Estado juega un rol central. Sin embargo, también se identifican limitaciones en su análisis, especialmente en la tendencia a atribuir a las elites políticas una racionalidad y cohesión que no siempre se corresponde con la realidad, donde los conflictos internos son más profundos de lo que Block reconoce. Este trabajo se propone contribuir al debate teórico sobre el Estado y las elites, revisando la capacidad explicativa del neoestatismo en diferentes contextos históricos y sociales. O sociólogo e investigador norte-americano Fred Block assumiu, desde a década de setenta, que o Estado deveria ser entendido e estudado por si só. Ele decidiu superar a ideia de que a economia determinava “em última análise” a política e desenvolveu uma teoria das elites políticas para compreender a sua relação ambígua e mutável com classes e grupos na sociedade. Embora os gestores estatais, colectivamente, estejam interessados em maximizar o seu poder, prestígio e riqueza, eles estabelecem relações contraditórias com os capitalistas e a classe trabalhadora. E se normalmente e por múltiplos factores se inclinam a cooperar na expansão do capital e a salvaguardar os seus interesses em nome da governabilidade, há momentos de crise em que adquirem autonomia relevante. Este tipo de mecanismo pode servir para explicar não só a autonomia dos regimes fascistas ou dos populismos latino-americanos, mas também dos regimes de acumulação baseados no Estado-providência. O neo-estatismo de Block também desmascara o mito da auto-regulação do mercado e demonstra que os regimes de acumulação dependem sempre de uma arquitectura e de um arranjo institucional cujo ápice é sempre o Estado.Finalmente, a análise de Block sobre a falta de racionalidade da classe capitalista corre o risco de depositar essa racionalidade na elite política e na burocracia estatal, que tendem a parecer menos unificadas e com mais contradições e conflitos do que Block, cuja ênfase foi colocada na demonstração a autonomia da burocracia como ator de pleno direito, ele estava disposto a reconhecer. Centro de Investigaciones y Estudios sobre Cultura y Sociedad 2025-07-15 info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion Artículo revisado por pares application/pdf text/html https://revistas.unc.edu.ar/index.php/astrolabio/article/view/45530 10.55441/1668.7515.n35.45530 Astrolabio; No. 35 (2025): Julio - Diciembre: Temática libre; 312-342 Astrolabio; Núm. 35 (2025): Julio - Diciembre: Temática libre; 312-342 Astrolabio; n. 35 (2025): Julio - Diciembre: Temática libre; 312-342 1668-7515 10.55441/1668.7515.n35 spa https://revistas.unc.edu.ar/index.php/astrolabio/article/view/45530/49700 https://revistas.unc.edu.ar/index.php/astrolabio/article/view/45530/49721 Derechos de autor 2025 Jorge Orovitz Sanmartino https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0 |
| spellingShingle | state theory neo-statism political elites social classes teoria del Estado neoestatismo elites políticas clases sociales Teoria do Estado neoestatismo elites políticas classes sociais Orovitz Sanmartino, Jorge Elites, Classes and States. Potentials and Limits of Fred Block's Neostatism |
| title | Elites, Classes and States. Potentials and Limits of Fred Block's Neostatism |
| title_alt | Elites, clases y Estados. Potencialidades y límites del neoestatismo de Fred Block |
| title_full | Elites, Classes and States. Potentials and Limits of Fred Block's Neostatism |
| title_fullStr | Elites, Classes and States. Potentials and Limits of Fred Block's Neostatism |
| title_full_unstemmed | Elites, Classes and States. Potentials and Limits of Fred Block's Neostatism |
| title_short | Elites, Classes and States. Potentials and Limits of Fred Block's Neostatism |
| title_sort | elites classes and states potentials and limits of fred block s neostatism |
| topic | state theory neo-statism political elites social classes teoria del Estado neoestatismo elites políticas clases sociales Teoria do Estado neoestatismo elites políticas classes sociais |
| topic_facet | state theory neo-statism political elites social classes teoria del Estado neoestatismo elites políticas clases sociales Teoria do Estado neoestatismo elites políticas classes sociais |
| url | https://revistas.unc.edu.ar/index.php/astrolabio/article/view/45530 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT orovitzsanmartinojorge elitesclassesandstatespotentialsandlimitsoffredblocksneostatism AT orovitzsanmartinojorge elitesclasesyestadospotencialidadesylimitesdelneoestatismodefredblock |