State Formation, Regime Change, and Economic Development

Failed or weak states, miscarried democratizations, and economic underdevelopment characterize a large part of the world we live in. Much work has been done on these subjects over the latest decades but most of this research ignores the deep historical processes that produced the modern state, modern democracy and the modern market economy in the first place.

This book elucidates the roots of these developments. The book discusses why China was surpassed by Europeans in spite of its early de...