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Fiscal capacity in ‘responsible government’ colonies: the Cape Colony in comparative perspective, 1865-1910

Gwaindepi, Abel LU (2022) In European Review of Economic History 26(3). p.340-369
Abstract
This study contributes to debates on the efficacy of institutions in settler colonies by comparing the Cape Colony’s fiscal path to the experiences of Australia, New Zealand, and Canada. I find that the Cape’s fiscal trajectory was divergent. Agricultural and mining taxes were important surrogates of income taxes in other colonies, but the Cape’s narrow interests pushed for insulation from direct taxes. This made the Cape’s fiscal path unsustainable with comparatively low per capita taxes, high deficits, and the highest level of indebtedness. I argue that the instrumentality of ‘‘responsible government” status was conditional on how imported self-government institutions were endogenized.
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
European Review of Economic History
volume
26
issue
3
pages
30 pages
publisher
Oxford University Press
external identifiers
  • scopus:85136493307
ISSN
1474-0044
DOI
10.1093/ereh/heab019
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
7090fe12-1a6d-4981-8856-ecb90b661c87
date added to LUP
2021-08-13 11:45:16
date last changed
2022-10-31 14:57:24
@article{7090fe12-1a6d-4981-8856-ecb90b661c87,
  abstract     = {{This study contributes to debates on the efficacy of institutions in settler colonies by comparing the Cape Colony’s fiscal path to the experiences of Australia, New Zealand, and Canada. I find that the Cape’s fiscal trajectory was divergent. Agricultural and mining taxes were important surrogates of income taxes in other colonies, but the Cape’s narrow interests pushed for insulation from direct taxes. This made the Cape’s fiscal path unsustainable with comparatively low per capita taxes, high deficits, and the highest level of indebtedness. I argue that the instrumentality of ‘‘responsible government” status was conditional on how imported self-government institutions were endogenized.}},
  author       = {{Gwaindepi, Abel}},
  issn         = {{1474-0044}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{3}},
  pages        = {{340--369}},
  publisher    = {{Oxford University Press}},
  series       = {{European Review of Economic History}},
  title        = {{Fiscal capacity in ‘responsible government’ colonies: the Cape Colony in comparative perspective, 1865-1910}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/ereh/heab019}},
  doi          = {{10.1093/ereh/heab019}},
  volume       = {{26}},
  year         = {{2022}},
}