State Formation in Early Modern England, c.1550–1700

Abstract

This book examines the development of the English state during the long seventeenth century, emphasising the impersonal forces which shape the uses of political power, rather than the purposeful actions of individuals or groups. It is a study of state formation rather than of state building. The author's approach does not however rule out the possibility of discerning patterns in the development of the state, and a coherent account emerges which offers some alternative answers to relatively well-established questions. In particular, it is argued that the development of the state in this period was shaped in important ways by social interests - particularly those of class, gender and age. It is also argued that this period saw significant changes in the form and functioning of the state which were, in some sense, modernising. The book therefore offers a narrative of the development of the state in the aftermath of revisionism.

The Monopoly of Violence: Evidence From Colombia

“…In this paper we develop a new perspective on state formation, emphasizing the idea that aspects of state weakness, particularly the lack of monopoly of violence in peripheral 1. The classic example is the disarmament of the English aristocracy by the Tudors following the Wars of the Roses (Storey 1968), which allowed for the development of the state (Elton 1953;Braddick 2000), ultimately culminating in the reforms implemented after 1688 (Brewer 1988). areas, can be an equilibrium outcome which "modernization" need not automatically change. Although we believe that the ideas proposed in this paper have relevance both in democratic or nondemocratic contexts, we develop a model formalizing these notions in the context of a democratic country.…”

The quest for publicness: political conflict about the organisation of tramways and telecommunication in Sweden, c. 1900–1920

“…Previous research has shown that the design of public services has been of great importance for the internal cohesion of the community and for the creation of collective identities (Braddick, 2000;Epstein, 2006;He, 2015;Slack, 1999). Thus, the organisation of public services contributes to a society's perception of the significance of the public, and it is this consciousness that makes up publicness.…”

Sir Philip Musgrave and the Re-Establishment of the 'Old Regime' in Cumberland and Westmorlandc. 1660–1664: Local Loyalty and National Influence

“…As Michael Braddick has observed, 'the success of measures against nonconformity depended on the willingness of secular authorities to give teeth to national legislation: national panics did not necessarily find a resonance in all localities'. 107 In Cumberland and Westmorland the vigour with which Sir Philip Musgrave and Daniel Fleming approached the prosecution of Quakers during the period 1660-64 has been allowed to obscure the fact that here too, some officials were clearly more active than others -a phenomenon recognised by the Quakers themselves.…”