States and Citizens, first published in 2003, offers a survey of perceptions of the state and its prospects in the contemporary world.States and Citizens offers a coherent survey of perceptions of the state, its history, its theoretical underpinnings, and its prospects in the contemporary world. The coverage of the Western European experience is thorough and wide-ranging, with the greatest post-colonial democratic state, India, as an important comparative example. The provocative and accessible contributions of a very distinguished and genuinely pan-European team of contributors ensure that States and Citizens provides a unique and valuable resource, of interest to students and teachers of the history of ideas, political theory and European studies.States and Citizens offers a coherent survey of perceptions of the state, its history, its theoretical underpinnings, and its prospects in the contemporary world. The coverage of the Western European experience is thorough and wide-ranging, with the greatest post-colonial democratic state, India, as an important comparative example. The provocative and accessible contributions of a very distinguished and genuinely pan-European team of contributors ensure that States and Citizens provides a unique and valuable resource, of interest to students and teachers of the history of ideas, political theory and European studies.Coverage of the Western European experience is wide-ranging in this survey of perceptions of the state, its history, and prospects in the contemporary world. The greatest post-colonial democratic state, India, is also discussed as an important comparative example. Contributions by a distinguished pan-European team of authors ensure this study's value to students and teachers of the history of ideas, political theory and European studies.Introduction; Part I. States and Citizens: Setting the Scene: 1. States and the freedom of citizens Quentin Skinner; 2. The concept of the state: the sovereignty of a fictl³¼