Author:
Blaydes Lisa,Grzymala-Busse Anna
Abstract
State formation is a critical concern for comparative politics. Much of the most influential literature has focused on the politically fragmented setting of early modern Europe,
where warmaking fostered state consolidation and the development of institutions of
representation and taxation. More recently, scholars have expanded this perspective by
emphasizing the state-building implications of alternative forms of competition, interstate cooperation, and emulation, as well as the influence of a broader set of societal actors
beyond belligerent rulers. The authors review recent scholarship on state formation that
suggests that the canonical bellicist path is only one pathway to state consolidation, both
in Europe and beyond. This article draws attention to the importance of geography and
to new insights regarding the organization of state-society relations and the influence of
regional and global economic engagements on state formation.