State Origins

Question 1

How did the first states form?

Answer 1

1. Entrapment
   Hall and Mann both note that people historically avoid states
   a. Religion
   People need to live near places of worship (but these places of worship were built by states so…)
   b. Settled Agriculture
   Hall and Mann think this is the key
   Fertile valleys surrounded by inhospitable land trapped people
2. Consensus
   Lenski looks at Settled Agriculture as leading to large populations necessitating the creation of the State to
   a. Regulate social conflict
   b. Provide social safety net
   c. Collective-decision making

Question 2

Theories on the rise of Weberian states

Answer 2

1. Tilly: War and state-making (conflict)
2. Gorski: Religion and state-making (consensus)

Question 3

Tilly, War and the State

Answer 3

European Exceptionalism and geopolitical competition resulted in warfare which promoted Weberian and democracy:

1. Weberian states: The survival of the fittest between European powers created highly effective states through Darwinistic competition.
   a. Organization
   b. Territorality
   c. Monopoly of Legitimate Force
2. Promoted State Responsiveness: Warfare made the State responsive to the populations needs
   - States can offer two types of protection: Benign (social contract, rights) or Malign (mafia-style racket)
   - Warfare made the State reliant on the population for troops/taxes and needed to make concessions/benefits for the population, so this made them responsive to the needs of the population

Question 4

Effects of Tilly’s Social Contract

Answer 4

Mixed effects for state power:
- Limited: States couldn’t do whatever they wanted, as people could restrain
- Expanded: With greater societal support, states could rely more on their population

Democratization: Tilly argues that more responsive states created foundations for democracy
– Therefore sees link between constant war and the rise of democracy in Europe

Question 5

Gorski’s Discipline and State Building

Answer 5

Gorski believes Tilly focused too much on conflict, and disregarded consensus (like marriage).

• The main thing needed for a Weberian state is DISCIPLINE
• Draws on ideas from Weber, like Legitimate Authority and Bureaucracy
• Most importantly, draws on Weber’s ideas on religion influencing capitalism (the Protestant Ethic):
  1. Ethic of self discipline: Calvinism preached to be disciplined
  2. Institutional strategies of collective disciplining: Calvinism preach keeping community discipline and developed strategies to ensure compliance
  Examples: Holland (religion) and Prussia (bureaucracy)

Question 6

Present-day Warfare

Answer 6

Gorski:
- Warfare today is about state destruction, not building so he suggests need for more discipline, not war

Tilly:
- Contemporary warfare is different than in early modern Europe in three ways,
1. Civil, not international war
2. No constant risk so less pressure
3. International environment offers resources/weapons without forcing states to be effective