Leon Wansleben's new book, The Rise of Central Banks, explains how central banks have emerged as powerful monetary governors over the past half-century. Yet the book's recognition that central banks cannot extricate themselves from quantitative easing and market bailouts begs the question: what...

What is the effect of state capacity on economic development? Strong states are capable of mobilising the resources required to establish an efficient administration and provide public goods, which are preconditions for economic development. I consider the long-lasting division of Yugoslavia...

What is the effect of state capacity on economic development? I argue that strong and centralised states are capable of mobilising the resources required to establish an efficient administration and provide public goods, which are preconditions for modern economic growth. To test this...

How does repression shape state capacity? While the literature on the effectiveness of repression in quelling opposition and insurgency has been mixed, the reverse impact of actually employing repression on the coercive organs has been understudied. This paper shows that repressions by police...

The paper explores how elites can develop capacity for collective agency through coordination. Elites' challenge is to simultaneously deter the state from abusing power while at the same time relying on it to discipline defectors in their midst. The basic insight holds that the credibility of...