We have theories of why states form, but until now no systematic data on the process. This column uses a new dataset on 650 locations in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to explain why armed actors may create the functions of a state. When a village's output was valuable but could not easily be taxed, armed actors developed sophisticated fiscal and legal administrations to extract revenue. Household welfare improved only when these stationary bandits had ties to the population.
Raul Sanchez de la Sierra, 19 December 2017
Most Read
Vox eBooks
Vox Talks
Events
-
29 - 30 August 2019 / Galatina, Italy /
-
4 - 5 September 2019 / Roma Eventi, Congress Center, Pontificia Università Gregoriana Piazza della Pilotta, 4, Rome, Italy / European Center of Sustainable Development , CIT University
-
9 - 14 September 2019 / Guildford, Surrey, UK / The University of Surrey
-
16 - 17 September 2019 / Oslo / Danmarks Nationalbank, Deutsche Bundesbank and Norges Bank
-
16 - 17 September 2019 / Essen, Germany / Centre for Research and Analysis of Migration (CReAM), University College London and RWI – Leibniz Institute for Economic Research
