Avidit Acharya - Economic Foundations of the Territorial State System
The contemporary world is organized into a system of territorial states in which rulers exercise authority inside clearly defined boundaries and recognize the authority of other rulers outside those boundaries. We argue that this system can be rationalized as an economic cartel in which self-interested and forward-looking rulers maintain high tax revenues by reducing competition in the "market for governance." Our theory explains how the major economic developments that took place in Europe starting in the 15th century contributed to the development of this system.
Avidit Acharya is an assistant professor of political science at Stanford University. His research specializes in the fields of political economy and game theory, especially as it applies to topics in comparative politics and international relations. Before coming to Stanford, Avi taught for two years at the University of Rochester.