The Agency Problem of Empire: British Bureaucracy and Institutional Path Dependence

dc.contributor.authorHill, Joshua Peter
dc.creatorHill, Joshua Peter
dc.date2009-12-07
dc.date.accessioned2010-01-11T20:10:07Z
dc.date.availableNO_RESTRICTION
dc.date.available2010-01-11T20:10:07Z
dc.date.issued2010-01-11T20:10:07Z
dc.description.abstractThe bureaucratic structure of European empires is central to an understanding of institutional origin and durability. This paper provides a theory of why the institutional structures established by Europeans in their empires were what they were, and of how they were instantiated and rendered durable. These predictions are then compared to the historical record in the case of the British Empire. The result is a discovery of systematic variation, according to European mortality rates in a region, in pay structure for and information gathering capacity about governors. Moreover, this variation is found to be resilient to changing local conditions, explaining why institutions proved durable despite converging mortality rates.
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/1920/5668
dc.language.isoen_US
dc.subjectInstitutions
dc.subjectAgency problem
dc.subjectEmpire
dc.subjectPath dependence
dc.subjectEconomic development
dc.subjectBritain
dc.titleThe Agency Problem of Empire: British Bureaucracy and Institutional Path Dependence
dc.typeDissertation
thesis.degree.disciplineEconomics
thesis.degree.grantorGeorge Mason University
thesis.degree.levelDoctoral
thesis.degree.nameDoctor of Philosophy in Economics

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