POL 315 MODULE 2
4.0 CONCLUSION
Political power, in Marxist theory, comes from economic power. The
power of the ruling class therefore stems from its ownership and control
of the means of production. In the same way, the position of the
dominant class is supported by beliefs and values which are
systematically generated by the infrastructure. The state plays the roles
of sustaining and reinforcing the status quo which favors the bourgeois
class.
5.0 SUMMARY
The state is essentially the coercive instrument of class rule. For Marx,
the state is a committee for the management of the common affairs of
the bourgeoisie (Communist manifesto). The state is not neutral but
stands to protect the interest of one class over the others. For Marx the
state will wither away with the destruction of private property which
will put to end all class induced privileges in society. The state is a
product of class differentiation in society. Political power: is merely
organised power of one class for oppressing another.
SELF-ASSESSMENT EXERCISE
i. How do the superstructures promote bourgeois interest in
capitalist society?
ii. Identify the roles of the substructure in society.
6.0 TUTOR-MARKED ASSIGNMENT
1. Explain the sources of bourgeois power.
2. How can the state be neutral in a class divided society?
7.0 REFERENCES/FURTHER READING
Ake, C. (1982). A Political Economy of Africa. London: Longman.
Baradat, L. (2006). Political Ideologies: Their Origins and Impact. New
Jersey: Pearson Prentice-Hall.
Baran, P. (1957). The Political Economy of Growth. New York.
Bayart, J. (1993). The State in Africa: The Politics of the Belly. London
and New York: Longman.
Heywood, A. (2007). Politics. Basingstoke : MacMillan.
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