The Cartel System of States: An Economic Theory of International Politics

The book explores the intriguing question of why citizens across international borders experience vastly different governance systems. Acharya and Lee propose a groundbreaking theory that views the modern territorial state system as an economic cartel, where states maintain local monopolies on governance and respect each other's boundaries. By examining the historical evolution of state formation, the authors illuminate how this system emerged and speculate on potential future transformations, making significant contributions to the understanding of world politics.