Econometrica

Journal Of The Econometric Society

An International Society for the Advancement of Economic
Theory in its Relation to Statistics and Mathematics

Edited by: Guido W. Imbens • Print ISSN: 0012-9682 • Online ISSN: 1468-0262

Econometrica: Sep, 2024, Volume 92, Issue 5

The Rise of Fiscal Capacity: Administration and State Consolidation in the Holy Roman Empire

https://doi.org/10.3982/ECTA20612
p. 1439-1472

Davide Cantoni|Cathrin Mohr|Matthias Weigand

This paper studies the role of fiscal capacity in European state consolidation. Our analysis is organized around novel data on the territories and cities of the Holy Roman Empire in the early modern period. Territories implementing an early fiscal reform were more likely to survive, increased in size, and achieved a more compact extent. We provide evidence for the causal interpretation of these results and show key mechanisms: revenues, military investments, and marriage success. The imposition of Imperial taxes, quasi‐random in timing and size, increased the benefits of an efficient tax administration on the side of rulers, driving the implementation of fiscal centralization. Within territories, Chambers became the dominant administrative institution, tilting the consolidating states toward absolutism.


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Supplemental Material

Supplement to "The Rise of Fiscal Capacity: Administration and State Consolidation in the Holy Roman Empire"

Davide Cantoni, Cathrin Mohr, and Matthias Weigand

This supplement contains material not found within the manuscript.

Supplement to "The Rise of Fiscal Capacity: Administration and State Consolidation in the Holy Roman Empire"

Davide Cantoni, Cathrin Mohr, and Matthias Weigand

The replication package for this paper is available at https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.13141937. The Journal checked the data and codes included in the package for their ability to reproduce the results in the paper and approved online appendices.