Capitalism, the U.S. State, and the Constitutional Convention

James Parisot, University of Texas, Rio Grande Valley

This article engages with the literature in American Political Development with three overarching goals. First, it suggests that analysis that focuses on the 'autonomous' state has misconstrued historical materialist conceptions of the state that are, in fact, better for explaining the dynamics of capitalism and state formation. Secondly, it revisits the debate over the transition to American capitalism as a basis for developing an analysis of American history and state formation. Third, through engagement with sources from the Constitutional Convention, it presents an account of the formation of the relatively autonomous state in the context of class and capitalism.

No extended abstract or paper available

 Presented in Session 56. Critical Perspectives on U.S. Historical Development