The two centuries from 1818 to 2004 cover profound social and economic
changes in what was, for much of the period, the most powerful country in the
world. Britain led the way in moving capital and labour out of agriculture and into
newer industries, such as coal-mining, textiles and transportation. The changes
were accompanied by deep institutional changes, especially in the franchise. The
rate of change is remarkable: within seventy years Britain was almost completely
democratic, in contrast to the 'rotten boroughs' and virtual feudalism of the pre-
1832 unreformed Parliaments. The changes are mirrored in the role given to
agriculture within society, and in particular the amount and type of economic rent
transferred from the consumer and the taxpayer to the farmer. This thesis uses
two centuries of data and 'survival analysis' statistical techniques to show that
Olson's celebrated theory of collective action can be substantiated in a dynamic
context. I show that as the share of farmers in the workforce diminishes, and their
relative wealth shrinks, the probability of the Cabinet increasing protection grows.
The reverse is also the case, showing that the Cabinet responds positively to
pressures from a group whose utility was diminishing.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:BVAU.2429/895 |
| Date | 05 1900 |
| Creators | Peplow, Stephen |
| Publisher | University of British Columbia |
| Source Sets | Library and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
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