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Beginning from the observation that the model for analysis put forward in L’État en Action has partly been overtaken by events, and in particular by the "crumbling away of the French model of policy making," the author takes stock of changes that influence the actual state of policy analysis in France. He agrees that the state has, to a certain extent, been overtaken as an object of study by the more general notion of public policies, as these are shown to emanate not only from the national but also from the sub-national or the European levels. He goes on to note that the conceptualization of the global "référentiel" must now frequently be situated outside the state itself. Finally, he proposes a theory of political change and a set of questions around the problem posed by the cognitive approach for the study of citizenship in an increasingly fragmented society. The article concludes with a discussion of the place of the state in contemporary society, with a view to opening new avenues for research.