In the approaches to political economy we have considered up to now, the state plays a subsidiary role. In these approaches, political economy is energized by the economy, or more broadly by the system of private interests. Indeed, in these approaches, little exists that cannot be understood on the basis of private (essentially economic) interest. To the extent that these approaches concern themselves with the state, they treat it as an instrument or institution employed by individuals or groups as a way of achieving private ends. Whatever important differences exist among these approaches, one similarity stands out. The state is not essentially an active agent; it serves as an instrument of forces originating among individuals or classes. As Wolin points out, this instrumental conception of the state goes back to Locke and the case against Hobbes.

This form of determination leaves the state in a derivative position. Deprived of its own logic, lacking a motivation and source of energy lying outside economy, the state is reduced to a dependent variable. First, a clear distinction is made between state and economy. Second, economy is accorded a primary place, with the wants and interests of individuals at the center.