The fountain of privilege : political foundations of markets in Old Regime France and England / Hilton L. Root.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Root, Hilton L., author.

Series:

California series on social choice and political economy ; Volume 26.

California Series on Social Choice and Political Economy Series ; Volume 26

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

France--Economic conditions--18th century.

France.

France--Politics and government--18th century.

Great Britain--Economic conditions--18th century.

Great Britain.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (299 pages)

Edition:

First edition.

Place of Publication:

Berkeley, California : University of California Press, [1994]

Summary:

The Fountain of Privilege applies contemporary economic and political theory to answer long-standing historical questions about modernization. In particular, it contrasts political stability in Georgian England with the collapse of the Old Regime in France. Why did a century of economic expansion rupture France's political foundations while leaving those of Britain intact? Comparing the political and financial institutions of the two states, Hilton Root argues that the French monarchy's tight control of markets created unresolvable social conflicts whereas England's broader power base permitted the wider distribution of economic favors, resulting in more flexible and efficient markets. This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press's mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1994.

Contents:

Frontmatter

Contents

Acknowledgments

Introduction: Speaking across Paradigms

1 THEORETICAL AND HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

1 The Market for Property Rights

2 Rivals in Modernization: Creating National Communities in France and England

3 The Redistributive Role of the State

2 THE LESS PRIVILEGED

4 Interpreting Peasant Revolutions

3 THE MORE PRIVILEGED

5 The Political Economy of Collective Violence: What Did the "Moral Economy" of Pre-Revolutionary Europe Cost?

6 Rent Seeking and Trade Regulation

7 The Rise and Decline of English Mercantilism in Comparative Perspective

4 THE VERY PRIVILEGED

8 Tying the King's Hands: Credible Commitments and Royal Fiscal Policy under the Old Regime

9 The Fiscal Origins of Democratic Revolution

5 HYPOTHESES AND CONCLUSIONS

10 Modernization, Revolution, and the State

11 Caveat Emptor: Markets and History

Works Cited

Index

Notes:

Description based on publisher supplied metadata and other sources.

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

0-520-37775-3

OCLC:

1438668591