The minimal definition of the state is too restrictive for a research agenda around state and stateness, as it fails to encompass the complexity of contemporary state action. As an alternative, I suggest using a broader definition, which considers the plurality of the state’s components, functions and means. This conceptualization might give rise to a definition that has the advantage of portraying states in their complexity, with the flexibility necessary to embrace their diversity. This could be the base for a parallel research agenda that would favor national cases divided into sub-national cases on the basis of functional variety in state scope, instead of comparing all the countries in the region at once.