States and Economic Development

This book addresses the role of political institutions in economic performance, examining the changing state-economy relationships through a comparative history of political and economic development in Britain, USA, Russia, Japan, Taiwan and Korea. List of Figures.

List of Tables.

Preface.

1. Introduction.

Part I:.

2. The Rise of Europe I: State Formation and its Legacies, 800-1800.

3. The Rise of Europe II: State-Making and Economy-Formation from 17th to early 20th century.

4. The Rise of European Industrialisation: Britain and Russia, 1700-1913.

Part II:.

5. The Rise of East Asia I: States and Markets.

6. The Rise of East Asia II: Governed Interdependence.

7. The Decline of Anglo-American Capitalism.

8. Conclusion.

Bibliography.

Index.

"A work of monumental synthesis, in the very best of that tradition, pulling intelligently on the best literature and generating a sustainable thesis from that." Adrian Leftwich, University of York

"This is a richly researched analysis of the role of the State - and of warfare - in the historical development of capitalism." Development Policy Review

"A very useful and provocative book ... a rich variety of conceptual schema ... Weiss and Hobson's book does an excellent job of synthesizing the conceptual gains of the literature on which they build." American Political Science Review

"States and Economic Development provides an excellent survey of the role of the state action in 'national' economic development and well-being." Political Studies

"This is an informative book which manages to craft a large amount of secondary material into a coherent argument. The emphasis placed on the role of a coordinating and collaborative state, which can also be democratic, is stimulating and ambitious ... this is a thought provoking and stimulating book which should be very useful for both teaching and research." Political Geography

"This is a well-researched, well-written book. It is an excellent summary of recent work on the state in historical sociology. It will be a valuable book for a wide readership, from those concerned with economic development to international relations specialists, and from those interested in social theory to more empirically oriented comparativists." Australian Journal of Political Science

Linda M. Weiss is an Australian professor of political science at the University of Sydney, specialising in the international and comparative politics of economic development. John Atkinson Hobson was an English economist, social scientist and critic of imperialism, widely popular as a lecturer and writer. States and Economic Development addresses a core issue of comparative political economy: the role of political institutions in economic performance. What difference have modern states made to the development of the market economy? Under what conditions and for what purposes have states sought to assist the process of industrial advancement? Why do modern states differ so considerably in their capacity for governing the market? And how has the nature of state "strength" and its importance for a prosperous economy changed over time?

Through a comparative history of political and economic development, this volume examines changing state/economy relations from the rise of market economies in Europe to the present, focusing on Britain, Russia, Japan, Taiwan, Korea and the United States. It provides fresh arguments and novel explanations for the rise of modern states and markets, for early and late industrialization, for state capacity and for national competitiveness. By means of case studies and comparisons, the authors develop a neo-statist theory to explain the changing economic fortunes of political systems, from the rise of Europe to the gradual decline of Anglo-American industry and the recent ascendance of East Asia.