Empire

Key question underlying course: in what ways did ancient empires change the course of world history? (1) an empire is a territorially extensive hierarchical political organization (2): an empire is a territorially extensive hierarchical political organization involving the rule of one or more groups over other groups of foreigners
 * Definition of empire:**

I.1) Basic instinct model: imperialism as human nature. The strong do what they can and the weak do what they must (Thucydides). Empires break out whenever demography, technology, and institutions favor them; may be stimulated by changes in the metropolis or the periphery (or both) I.b) Liberal variant: modern liberal democratic society has overcome this atavism II.a) Constructivist model: in some circumstances, economic forces create the need for empire. To demography, technology, and institutions we must add ideology, naturalizing empire II.b) Postmodern variant: empire is a product of a discourse of domination
 * Types of Empires**

Page 11 of Colossus
 * INFAMOUS CHART**
 * **Metropolitan system** || **Self-interested objectives** || **public goods** || **Methods of Rule** || **Economic System** || **Cui Bono?** || **Social Character** ||
 * Tyranny || Security || Peace || Military || Plantation || Ruling Elite || Genocidal ||
 * Aristocracy || Commnications || Trade || Bureaucracy || Feudal || Metropolitan Populace || Hierarchical ||
 * Oligarchy || Land || Investment || Settlement || Mercantilist || Settlers || Converting ||
 * Democracy || Raw Materials/treasure || Law || NGOs || Market || Local Elites || Assimilative ||
 * || Manpower || Government || Firms || Mixed || All Inhabitants ||  ||
 * || Rents || Education || Delegation to local elites || Planned ||  ||   ||
 * || Taxation || Conversion ||  ||   ||   ||   ||
 * ||  || Health ||   ||   ||   ||   ||

Note that there is a debate between whether Empires are good or bad. (Feel free to ad) Good- Stability, Protection Bad- They beat the shit out of people