Those who speak of “The State” as univocal are mistaken. Not only is “The State” – or even “The Modern State” an entity that changes through time, it is also an entity that changes from place to place.

One of the things that determines the nature of “The State” is the existence, nature and health of the intermediate social institutions that stand between them and the individuals of the society. Though modernity is, in theory, atomistic and individualistic, this is only in theory. We see the outworkings of that theory in American life, but in spite of the theory intermediate institutions (the family, churches, clubs, etc.) continue to exist.