Political Economy

This chapter surveys research on political economy in economic history. It discusses the integration of the public choice/political economy approaches with economic history by providing a highly selective thematic overview. Topics discussed include the origins of the state, different regime types, labor coercion, warfare, religion, and state capacity. The chapter also provides detailed illustrations of how economic historians have investigated specific historical episodes such as the Glorious Revolution, French Revolution, the consequences of European empires, and the rise of Democracies.