The article relates capitalism's distinctive dynamic to the nature of the wage relation and self-valorization of capital. Capitalism has no �nal telos:its future remains open in the face of structural changes and social struggles. This source of capitalist dynamism also opens it to external influence. Some key changes in the government and governance of economics and politics are also discussed. These include: the denationalization of statehood, a partial de-statization of politics, and the internationalization of policy regimes. Among counter-trends are the survival of the national state as an instance of meta-governance.