Elite or State:Grain Prices,Social Conflicts,and Provision of Public Goods in Eighteenth-Century China
We use prefecture-level panel data from 1742 to 1795 to investigate the mitigating effects of government granaries and community services during food crises,exploring regional variations.The results indicate that,while higher grain prices typically led to increased conflicts across China,this trend did not hold in the North and the Lower Yangtze.Further examinations reveal that the government played a dominant role in reducing conflicts in the North,whereas local elites were more effective in the Lower Yangtze.These variations are likely attributed to the distinct socioeconomic structures in the two regions.
provision of public goodsstate and societysocial stability
万方数据
维普
