Towards an anti-racist Marxist state theory: A Canadian case study

While significant advances have been made in Marxist state theory, there are important gaps that need to be addressed if we hope to reach a more complete understanding of the state and the implications of its power. One of the most glaring weaknesses in Marxist state theory is its near-silence on questions of race and racism, since racism is so central to what the capitalist state does. Using the insights of anti-racist Marxist writings to complement the theoretical developments of Open Marxist theories of the stateand incorporating a historical study of the Canadian state-this article will show that capitalist state power and class relations are developed through, and cannot be abstracted from processes of racialisation.