How State Building Backfires

Abstract

This book examines the dynamic relationship between political centralization and domestic conflict. Central authorities in many contexts rely on local elites to maintain order and repress rebellion, but this often comes at a high cost in terms of lost revenue and control. State-building efforts that consolidate authority in the central government are often attractive to central rulers, especially when facing external threat, but they are risky as well. Though they may succeed in bolstering the financial strength of the state, these efforts run the risk of backfiring by alienating crucial intermediaries who maintain order in the periphery. We explore this argument empirically drawing on qualitative evidence from Russia, France, and China and detailed subnational data on state building and conflict across over 500 years of Mexican history.