Monopoly of taxation without a monopoly of violence: the weak state鈥檚 trade-offs from taxation

This study presents a new economic perspective on state-building based on a case study in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

From:
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
Published
2 May 2025
Country:
Congo (Democratic Republic)
Document Type:
Journal Article
Theme:
Governance and Conflict
First published:
15 January 2025
Authors:
Henn, Soeren J

Abstract

The findings in this paper suggest that attempting to increase taxation by a weak state could come at the expense of safety in the medium term and of the integrity of the state in the long term.

This paper is part of the Private Enterprise Development in Low-Income Countries (PEDL) programme.

Citation

Henn SJ and others. 鈥楳onopoly of taxation without a monopoly of violence: the weak state鈥檚 trade-offs from taxation鈥� The Review of Economic Studies 2024

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Published 2 May 2025
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