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Political institutions, resources, and war: Theory and evidence from ancient Rome

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  • Adamson, Jordan

Abstract

How does a governing coalition’s size affect the extent and type of violence in society? The model developed here predicts that larger coalitions are less likely to fight for private goods (e.g., plunder) than for public goods (e.g., defense), yet this substitution need not reduce the overall scale of fighting. That prediction is tested by investigating how Rome’s transition from Republic to Empire affected military patterns. The raw data and three empirical tests suggest that the Republic engaged in more battles overall and that Republican battles had more of a public goods component. This study furthers our empirical knowledge about the ancient world while bringing data to bear on contemporary debates about the causes of peace and war.

Suggested Citation

  • Adamson, Jordan, 2020. "Political institutions, resources, and war: Theory and evidence from ancient Rome," Explorations in Economic History, Elsevier, vol. 76(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:exehis:v:76:y:2020:i:c:s0014498320300103
    DOI: 10.1016/j.eeh.2020.101324
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    Cited by:

    1. Matthias Flückiger & Erik Hornung & Mario Larch & Markus Ludwig & Allard Mees, 2022. "Roman Transport Network Connectivity and Economic Integration," Review of Economic Studies, Oxford University Press, vol. 89(2), pages 774-810.
    2. Fuhai Hong & Dong Zhang, 2023. "Bureaucratic beliefs and law enforcement," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 196(3), pages 357-379, September.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Roman institutions; Colonial settlements; Coalition size; Pax romana; War types;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • H41 - Public Economics - - Publicly Provided Goods - - - Public Goods
    • H42 - Public Economics - - Publicly Provided Goods - - - Publicly Provided Private Goods
    • H56 - Public Economics - - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies - - - National Security and War
    • N43 - Economic History - - Government, War, Law, International Relations, and Regulation - - - Europe: Pre-1913
    • N53 - Economic History - - Agriculture, Natural Resources, Environment and Extractive Industries - - - Europe: Pre-1913
    • P59 - Political Economy and Comparative Economic Systems - - Comparative Economic Systems - - - Other

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