Midterm: Statebuilding Flashcards
narrow vs. encompassing interests
The robber obtains such a narrow or small share of any loss or gain to society that he ignores the damage his thievery does to society. However, the mafia or ruler has a monopoly on crime and has a moderately encompassing interest or stake in the economic prosperity of that community. It takes the interest of that community into account when it uses its coercive power (since it can bear losses if its community bears losses).
stationary bandit’s encompassing interest
gives him incentives to behave differently.
1. he reduces the percentage he takes from each victim of his theft. (the more he takes, the less he’ll be able to grow the pie, and the less he’ll take in the long run. better to have a smaller share of a larger output than a large share of a small output).
2. incentives to provide public goods to benefit those under his domain
Eventually just becomes a public-good-providing autocrat.
Coase Theorem
individuals will bargain until they have maximized their joint gains, and power tends to be used in socially efficient ways. But not all is voluntary–force and power play a role, so we must understand the logic of power/force.
the other invisible hand
guides encompassing interests to use their power (to some degree) in accordance with the wider social interest, even when serving the public good was not part of the intention.
reciprocal rule
ruling interest that represents a larger population of the income-earning capacity of society will redistribute less income to itself and provide more public goods than a ruling interest that represents a smaller fraction of the income-earning capacity in society.
conditions of the political order
- level of tax revenue
- specialist of violence’s rate of discount (i.e. patience, greed, etc.)
- magnitudes of the rewards that predation might yield.
public goods
something that the rulers/ government provide that benefit the whole society and bring economic growth/prosperity
shadow of the future
How far in the future are you considering? How many times will people interact?
One-shot game vs. repetitive game, how far in the future we expect this interaction to go on…Short-term vs. long-term
state emergence in Europe
agriculture became valued, armies were formed to protect farmland. Keeping armies was expensive, and monarchs stepped in to help maintain / pay for the private armies. they then became more invested in their farms/peasants do well, so they could secure the resources needed to fight.
fundamental problem facing many African leaders
how to broadcast power over sparsely settled lands. how to behave like a state when it doesn’t have the capacity to act like a state. (or is our definition of a state too eurocentric).
