ABSTRACT
The state is a particular mode of accomplishing the generic functions of the polity in social life. These functions involve the generation of the consensus necessary for social integration, the exercise of leadership toward the definition and attainment of a dominant social purpose, and the provision of dispute adjudication and mediation. The provision of external defense would generally fall under the rubric of a dominant social purpose. There is a glaring correspondence problem present in laissez-faire conceptions of what E. L. Jones has aptly described as the "European miracle." The era of modern economic development has been marked by a strong antistate ideology on the one hand and, on the other, by the state’s undertaking a pivotal role in economic development. Radical institutionalists recognize the repressive character of the capitalist state but insist as well upon the state’s manifold activities toward integrating social life. By raising the scale and scope of human cooperation, these activities serve the generic human interest.
