Books by Ben W. (University of Oxford) Ansell

Ansell and Lindvall present the first comprehensive analysis of the origins of modern public services. Recounting conflicts among parties and religious groups over the political control of services, from prisons to schools and asylums, the book is for anyone interested in political science, public administration, history, and political sociology.

Research on the economic origins of democracy and dictatorship has shifted away from the impact of growth and turned toward the question of how different patterns of growth - equal or unequal - shape regime change. This book offers a new theory of the historical relationship between economic modernization and the emergence of democracy on a global scale, focusing on the effects of land and income inequality. Contrary to most mainstream arguments, Ben W. Ansell and David J. Samuels suggest that democracy is more likely to emerge when rising, yet politically disenfranchised, groups demand more influence because they have more to lose, rather than when threats of redistribution to elite interests are low.