The Dynamic Consequences of State Building: Evidence from the French Revolution
研究1790年法国制宪议会改革中地方首府选择对后续几十年国家能力与经济发展的影响，发现短期内行政邻近性增加税收和执法投入，长期则带来更多公共品和更快增长。
How do radical reforms shape economic development over time? In 1790, the French Constituent Assembly overhauled the kingdom’s organization to establish new local capitals. In some departments, the choice of local capitals over rival candidate cities was plausibly exogenous. We study how changes in administrative presence affect state capacity and development in the ensuing decades. In the short run, administrative proximity increases taxation and investments in law enforcement. In the long run, capitals obtain more public goods and grow faster. Our results shed light on the dynamic impacts of state building following one of history’s most ambitious administrative reforms.