The speed and intensity of global integration have provoked serious debate about the human impact of globalization and deep concern about the capacity of the state to provide social justice. This volume focuses on two dimensions of globalization: the cultural and social realities of global connection and the uneasily shifting role of the state. While global processes are fusing societies and economies more deeply than ever before, the editors argue that obituaries for the state are premature, if not wholly inappropriate. These essays examine a series of compelling case studies - the entertainment industry, citizenship, social activism, and wired communication - to assess the choices states have and the consequences of those choices for culture and society. Despite the seismic changes that globalization has wrought upon governments, the state remains as the last, best guardian of its people. This book explains why that is so.