Origins of Political Change. Structural vs. Exogenous Factors as Cause of the Late Medieval Guild Revolts
72 Pages Posted: 22 Jul 2015 Last revised: 8 Oct 2016
Date Written: October 6, 2016
Abstract
This study investigates the origins of guild revolts and participation in the government of late medieval central European cities. It finds that primarily structural factors and not so much exogenous factors (like the agricultural crisis or historical accidents), i.e. the prosperity of proto-industry and triggered the revolts. Medieval trade cities had a lower probability of guild participation indicating that not economic prosperity per se is decisive but rather that formerly poor groups of citizens like craftsmen profited from the economic upswing. The study also finds evidence for the existence of spatial spillovers implying that strategic considerations played a role in the spread of the revolts.
Keywords: Late Medieval, Early-Modern Period, Political Institutions, Political Change, Guild Revolts, Cities
JEL Classification: N44, N94, O10, R11, H11, D72
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