Path Dependence in European Development: Medieval Politics, Conflict, and State Building
@article{Acharya2019PathDI, title={Path Dependence in European Development: Medieval Politics, Conflict, and State Building}, author={Avidit Acharya and Alexander Lee}, journal={Comparative Political Studies}, year={2019}, volume={52}, pages={2171 - 2206} }
During the Middle Ages, most European polities operated under a norm that gave only the close male relatives of a monarch a privileged place in the order of succession. When no such heirs were available, succession disputes were more likely, with distant relatives and female(-line) heirs laying competing claims to the throne. These disputes often produced conflicts that destroyed existing institutions and harmed subsequent economic development. A shortage of male heirs to a European monarchy in…
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