State formation

Self-contained introduction

State formation, extraction & institutional continuity

Protection, Inc.: The Price of Power

You bought protection. What happens when the boss changes?

Bargain for a community, then face a replacement leader. Compare who pays, who enforces and which promises survive. Find the point where a personal deal becomes an institution.

How it runsSolo simulation
Time to plan45–55 min · planning estimate
What you produceBargaining, institutional comparison and explanation report

The same political choices in both routes. You can switch inside without starting over. For class asks you to complete any missing required responses. Save a report in either route; your instructor decides what to accept.

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Saving & submission →
An impossible arched bridge carries a city over a vivid blue void in a political collage.
POSSIBLE STATESTopic: State formation

What you can explore

  • Distinguish personal bargains from continuing institutional arrangements.
  • Explain extraction, enforcement and continuity.
  • Separate compliance or payment from evidence of legitimacy.

What the model leaves open

The designed cases isolate institutional features. Payment alone cannot establish consent or legitimacy.

AFTERWARD, THINK ABOUT

Which term survived the leadership change, and what sustained it?

Teaching this activity Debrief, assessment & assignment draft

Bring it back to the room

  • Which term survived the leadership change, and what sustained it?
  • What would you need to know before calling the arrangement legitimate?

What to assess

Look for an explicit mechanism, accurate comparisons and a distinction between payment, enforcement and legitimacy.

Read the complete teaching guide →

Syllabus description, rubric & printable companion →

Make it an assignment.

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Syllabus description & discussion prompts

Syllabus description

Bargain for a community, then face a replacement leader. Compare who pays, who enforces and which promises survive. Find the point where a personal deal becomes an institution. Students produce bargaining, institutional comparison and explanation report.

Questions for a discussion board or class debrief

  1. Which term survived the leadership change, and what sustained it?
  2. What would you need to know before calling the arrangement legitimate?
Open printable teaching companion →