The Centralization of African Tribal Societies
- Creators
- Bates, Robert H.
Abstract
Many arguments have been advanced concerning the economic basis of state formation. This essay summarizes these arguments and tests them — albeit is a highly unsatisfactory way — with data drawn from the sample of African societies archived in the Human Relations Area Files. Many of the arguments are "neo-contractarian"; they emphasize the role of the state in promoting economic efficiency. Others are loosely "neo-Marxist"; they emphasize the role of the state in securing the redistribution of income. Both kinds of arguments find support in the data. The paper therefore concludes by examining the degree to which the element of economic redistribution represents a "reasonable price" for the provision of economic prosperity.
Additional Information
The following people, at one time or another, have commented upon this essay. While I have taken many of their criticisms into account, I am nonetheless conscious that despite these efforts many deficiencies remain. For these I am solely responsible. Lance Davis, Phillip Hoffman, Gary Cox, Elizabeth Colson, Ronald Cohen, Douglass North, George Dalton, William O. Jones, David Laitin, John Ferejohn, Eleanor Sear l e, and Kenneth McCue. I particularly appreciate Kenneth McCue's work on the data analysis and his attempts to elevate it beyond elementary tabular analysis. The expenses of this work were paid in part by Grant No. SOC 77-08573 from the National Science Foundation. Published as Bates, Robert H. "The Centralization of African Tribal Societies" in Bates RH. Essays on the Political Economy of Rural Africa. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press; 1983.Attached Files
Published - sswp400.pdf
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Additional details
- Alternative title
- The Centralization of African Societies
- Eprint ID
- 82092
- Resolver ID
- CaltechAUTHORS:20171004-155527722
- SOC77-08573
- NSF
- Created
-
2017-10-04Created from EPrint's datestamp field
- Updated
-
2019-10-03Created from EPrint's last_modified field
- Caltech groups
- Social Science Working Papers
- Series Name
- Social Science Working Paper
- Series Volume or Issue Number
- 400