Economics Research Seminar – Dr Harry Pickard
Title: Institutional Origins and the Balance of Power: Long-run Effects of the Danelaw Boundary on English State Formation
Date: 5 March 2025
Time: 13:30 – 14:30
Venue: NUBS.4.23
If you would like to attend, please register using the following link:
Speaker: Dr Harry Pickard
Abstract:
Successful institutions require a capable state balanced by an active society. How can such a balance be achieved? We argue that differential institutional and cultural histories can lead to regions in a country having divergent preferences for the strength of the state or society. We investigate how Anglo-Saxon and Viking pasts shaped medieval England. Following a peace treaty in 886, the Danelaw boundary specified a zone where Viking laws were followed for circa 200 years. We implement a regression discontinuity design around this boundary. We find that in the Doomsday book of 1066-86 manors on the Anglo-Saxon side reported higher taxable income, evidence of higher state capacity. The side of the Vikings had a lower proportion of slaves and a more freeman, indicating a stronger society. These differences had consequences for the development of English institutions. Barons on the Viking side of the Danelaw boundary were more likely to rebel against King John prior to the signing of the Magna Carta.