ABSTRACT
Proponents of dependency and world-system perspectives argue their cases on historical grounds, as has been demonstrated by the previous three chapters. Hence, if one wants to critique these perspectives on their own terms, one must argue with the validity of their reading of history. This is precisely the approach taken by Tony Smith in this discussion drawn from his book on imperialism. His central argument is that because dependency and world-system theorists are ideologically motivated, they tend to overstate their case. Specifically, they exaggerate the power of the world system and underestimate the role of the state. Smith believes that if more attention were paid by these thinkers to political life in the periphery, they would understand that there is in fact a great deal of national autonomy and hence control over decisions affecting economic growth and distribution.
