The Fountain of Privilege applies contemporary economic and political theory to answer long-standing historical questions about modernization. In particular, it contrasts political stability in Georgian England with the collapse of the Old Regime in France. Why did a century of economic expansion rupture France’s political foundations while leaving those of Britain intact? Comparing the political and financial institutions of the two states, Hilton Root argues that the French monarchy’s tight control of markets created unresolvable social conflicts whereas England’s broader power base permitted the wider distribution of economic favors, resulting in more flexible and efficient markets. This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1994.
Hilton L. Root is Professor of Public Policy at the George Mason Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University.
“Political economy comes of age in this book. The Fountain of Privilege practices what has so far merely been advocated, the melding of history, economics, and political science. . . . A masterpiece of social science.”—Donald N. McCloskey, author of Second Thoughts
“Reveals how economic forces influenced the institutional evolution of Old Regime France and England. The work represents an effort to create a contemporary humanism by breaking down the specialist’s boundaries and reconstituting the fundamental unity of social analysis. The practice of applying theoretical insights from the social sciences to empirical research in history has a long pedigree. . . . Mr. Root’s work continues the tradition of Bloch, Lefebvre, Labrousse, and Braudel.”—Emmanuel Le Roy Ladurie, author of Montaillou: The Promised Land of Error
“A splendid book, full of new insights, brilliant ideas, and thoughtful analysis. It is a major contribution both to Ancien Régime and pre-Revolutionary history. . . . A masterful study.”—François Crouzet, author of Britain Ascendant: Studies in British and Franco-British Economic History
296 pp.6 x 9
9780520302914$39.95|£34.00Paper
Aug 2018