Chapter 2 deepens the reasoning on the state in classic feminist writings and adds insights from more recent feminist scholarship and from research on corruption. A main thread of the chapter is an integrated discussion of what feminist research and corruption research can learn from each other. The conclusion is that both gender equality and corruption are collective action problems that are difficult to solve through “grand plans” or the creation of specific agencies such as anti-corruption or gender equality offices. Both areas require substantial investment and visible proof of reciprocity—good intentions—in the interaction between the state and its citizens. The chapter presents a refreshed reading on some of the most influential feminist publications in political science such as Carole Pateman’s The Sexual Contract; Catharine MacKinnon’s Towards a Feminist Theory of the State; Helga Hernes’s Welfare State and Woman Power; and Anne Phillips’s Engendering Democracy. The chapter highlights that we need to consider that gender equality can be driven by a combination of factors that differ from the combinations behind other types of progressive change in society.