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Internal Rebellions and External Threats: A Model of Government Organizational Forms in Ancient China

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  • Haiwen Zhou

Abstract

In ancient China, a ruler needed to handle both internal rebellions and external threats. To decrease the possibility of internal rebellions, a ruler could organize the government to establish the division of power among ministers. While effective in preventing internal rebellions, this approach could make the defense of the country against external threats less effective. The trade‐off between preventing internal rebellions and dealing with external threats in a ruler's choice of government organizational form is affected by factors such as the size of the population, the level of coordination efficiency, and the degree of increasing returns to the military sector. If the magnitude of external threats increases, regardless of the type of equilibrium organizational form, the equilibrium level of the concentration of power among division heads increases.

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  • Haiwen Zhou, 2012. "Internal Rebellions and External Threats: A Model of Government Organizational Forms in Ancient China," Southern Economic Journal, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 78(4), pages 1120-1141, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:soecon:v:78:y:2012:i:4:p:1120-1141
    DOI: 10.4284/0038-4038-78.4.1120
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    2. Haiwen Zhou, 2023. "Unification and Division: A Theory of Institutional Choices in Imperial China," Annals of Economics and Finance, Society for AEF, vol. 24(1), pages 13-37, May.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • N15 - Economic History - - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics; Industrial Structure; Growth; Fluctuations - - - Asia including Middle East
    • N45 - Economic History - - Government, War, Law, International Relations, and Regulation - - - Asia including Middle East
    • P40 - Political Economy and Comparative Economic Systems - - Other Economic Systems - - - General

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