Abstract
The internationalisation of capital and the emergence of powerful transnational corporations are well documented. But how have they affected the role of the nation-state in the world economy?
And what is (and has been) the relationship between the national and international development of world capitalism?
These are some of the central questions raised in this article, which strongly argues for the necessity of formulating a theory of the nation-state as elaborate as that of capital. Only then will we be able to fully understand the economic, political and social consequences of the rise of transnational corporations.