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8 - Conclusion

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 May 2019

Henry Thomson
Affiliation:
Arizona State University
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Summary

In the conclusion, I discuss the contribution of the book and its implications for the study of authoritarian regimes, development, and democratization. In the long run, government policies that tax the agricultural sector lead to rural poverty, urbanization, and political instability. On the other hand, regimes that implement pro-farmer policies increasing agricultural prices are more likely to lock their countries into a long-run development trajectory that significantly decreases the risk of political instability and authoritarian regime collapse. By bolstering the incomes of rural farmers they mitigate poverty, slow rural-urban migration, promote economic growth, and decrease inequality. Rulers confronted with significant threats from both large concentrations of urban food consumers and landed elites cannot effectively use agricultural policy to address rural-urban conflict, because measures that are in the interests of the rural sector run invariably counter to those of the urban sector. These leaders are thus faced with unique challenges to their rule and a high likelihood of political instability. One likely outcome of this situation is a military dictatorship.

Type
Chapter
Information
Food and Power
Regime Type, Agricultural Policy, and Political Stability
, pp. 209 - 214
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2019

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  • Conclusion
  • Henry Thomson, Arizona State University
  • Book: Food and Power
  • Online publication: 31 May 2019
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108568951.009
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  • Conclusion
  • Henry Thomson, Arizona State University
  • Book: Food and Power
  • Online publication: 31 May 2019
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108568951.009
Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Conclusion
  • Henry Thomson, Arizona State University
  • Book: Food and Power
  • Online publication: 31 May 2019
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108568951.009
Available formats
×