Working Paper: NBER ID: w23435
Authors: Alberto Alesina; Bryony Reich; Alessandro Riboni
Abstract: The increase in army size observed in early modern times changed the way states conducted wars. Starting in the late 18th century, states switched from mercenaries to a mass army by conscription. In order for the population to accept to fight and endure war, the government elites began to provide public goods, reduced rent extraction and adopted policies to homogenize the population with nation-building. This paper explores a variety of ways in which nation-building can be implemented and studies its effects as a function of technological innovation in warfare.
Keywords: Nationbuilding; Nationalism; Warfare; Public Goods; Fiscal Capacity
JEL Codes: P16
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| increase in army size (H56) | shift from mercenary forces to mass conscription (H56) |
| shift from mercenary forces to mass conscription (H56) | states providing public goods (H49) |
| states providing public goods (H49) | gaining support of the population (D72) |
| states providing public goods (H49) | motivating citizens to endure hardships of war (H56) |
| public goods provision (H41) | fostering national identity (F52) |
| fostering national identity (F52) | motivating soldiers (H56) |
| lack of shared national identity (F52) | potential defections among soldiers (H56) |
| low fiscal capacity (H69) | states resorting to negative nationalism and propaganda (F52) |