How do states arise? The canonical answer to this question concentrated on historical warfare and international conflict, and the pressure to extract resources to fund war. This was the dominant paradigm until a recent wave of research has refocused our attention on the religious, cultural, and economic underpinnings of the state. In a telling example, the medieval Catholic Church has turned out to be a fundamental force in European state formation. It both competed with medieval monarchs and provided critical templates for governing institutions, the rule of law, and parliamentary representation. In these new accounts of state-building, trade, family law, elite networks, fiscal institutions, and local volunteers all transformed how authority was exercised and legitimated. In ways both direct and attenuated, these forces shaped the long-run development of the state.
About the Speaker: Anna Grzymala-Busse is the Michelle and Kevin Douglas Professor of International Studies in the Department of Political Science, the Director of the Europe Center, and Senior Fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute. Her research focuses on the historical development of the state and its transformation, political parties, religion and politics, and post-communist politics. Other areas of interest include populism, informal institutions, and causal mechanisms.