Collective Action under the Articles of Confederation

by Keith L. Dougherty

Rather than focus on why the states did not contribute to the national government under the Articles of Confederation, Collective Action under the Articles of Confederation asks why they, in fact, did--even when they should not have been expected to contribute. Why did states pay large portions of their requisitions to the federal government when problems of collective action and the lack of governmental incentives suggest that they should not have? Using original data, Keith L. Dougherty shows that states contributed to the national government when doing so produced local gains.

Genres: History

224 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2000

Reviews

[Charles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Articles of confederation

This book opened my eyes to how we managed to fund a new government. It was a miracle that we lasted until we agreed on a constitution.