IntroductionPart I: Big Questions1. State Formation, Regime Change, and Economic Development2. Comparative Historical AnalysisPart II: Classic Comparative Historical Analyses 3. The Classic Analyses I: Tocqueville4. The Classic Analyses II: Weber5. The Classic Analyses III: Hintze, Schumpeter, and BlochPart III: The Barrington-Moore Research Programme6. Barrington Moore and the Rebirth of the Discipline7. Perry Andersen on the Absolutist State8. Skocpol: Revolutions and the State9. War, State Formation, and Regime Change: Tilly, Downing, and ErtmanPart IV: Recent Contributions10. Representative Institutions Redux11. The West versus the Rest: The Debate on the Great Divergence12. Europe and the Emergence of the Market Economy13. Colonization Processes, Economic Growth, and Political Development14. War and State Formation in Ancient China15. War and State Formation in Latin America and Sub-Saharan Africa16. Neo-Weberian Perspectives on State Formation and Regime ChangePart V: Explaining the Rise of Representative Institutions17. The Theoretical Argument18. The Methodological Challenges19. The Empirical Evidence20. The General ConclusionsConclusions

"Recently social scientists have begun re-visiting historical processes of state formation, regime change and economic development. This book will be a must-read in this emerging and exciting field of study, providing an outstanding overview of past classics and current debates as well as offering promising and provocative insights into how scholarship might move forward." - Sheri Berman, Barnard College, USA."If you haven’t read the classics on state and regime formation, read Møller. If you have read the classics on state and regime formation, but need a brilliant synthesis and a thought-provoking independent argument, read Møller." - Jan Teorell, Lund University, Sweden."This book provides a clear and concise overview of the classical and contemporary social science literature, both qualitative and quantitative, on the origins of the modern state, modern democracy and modern market economy. It is unmatched in its even-handedness, acuity of judgement and geographic coverage. In addition, it casts new light on the conditions that led to the emergence of representative institutions in medieval Europe. A must read for anyone interested in the current debates on the divergence (and recent convergence) in economic and political development between the West and Asia." - Thomas Ertman, New York University, USA.