ABSTRACT
Itiscommonlyacceptedthatinthetwentiethcenturyindustrialized countriesexperiencedthegrowthofincreasinglycomplicatedeconomic, socialandpoliticalstructures.Thesortofsimplificationofeconomy,polity andsocialstructurethatMarxprophesied,nowseemsanunconvincing vision.Economicgrowthandsocialdifferentiationhaveproducedamaze ofinterrelationshipsbetweenorganizations,associations,institutionsand enterprises.Interdependencies,asDurkheimexpected,haveproliferated thoughwithouttheemergenceofasociallycementingsecularreligion whichhethoughtwouldbeneeded.Tocqueville'sworstfearshaveprobably beenrealizedbytheexpandingbureaucracythathasaccompaniedthis growingcomplexity.ItwouldbenosurprisetoWeber.Marx,whilecongratulatinghimselfontheamalgamationofsomanycapitalistenterprises, ashepredicted,wouldbedisappointedthattheState,farfromwithering away,appearstohavemoreramificationsthaneverbefore.
