“…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.…”