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The Peaceful Conspiracy: Bond Markets and International Relations During the Pax Britannica

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  • Flandreau, Marc
  • Flores, Juan H.

Abstract

This article provides foundations to Polanyi's famed argument that monopoly power in the global capital market served as an instrument of peace during the Pax Britannica (1815–1914). Our perspective is novel—we focus on the role of intermediaries and certification. We show that when information and enforcement are imperfect, there is scope for the endogenous emergence of “prestigious” intermediaries who enjoy a monopoly position and as a result, control government actions. They can implement conditional lending: they subject the distribution of credit to the adoption of peaceful policies. Prestigious intermediaries act that way because of their concern with maintaining an unblemished track record when wars increased risks of default. Our analysis, which brings together insights from different disciplines, provides a significant extension to, and departure from, recent research on how countries accumulate reputational capital.

Suggested Citation

  • Flandreau, Marc & Flores, Juan H., 2012. "The Peaceful Conspiracy: Bond Markets and International Relations During the Pax Britannica," International Organization, Cambridge University Press, vol. 66(2), pages 211-241, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:cup:intorg:v:66:y:2012:i:02:p:211-241_00
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    Cited by:

    1. Flores Zendejas, Juan, 2020. "Explaining Latin America's persistent defaults: an analysis of the debtor–creditor relations in London, 1822–1914," Financial History Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 27(3), pages 319-339, December.
    2. Patrick E. Shea & Paul Poast, 2018. "War and Default," Journal of Conflict Resolution, Peace Science Society (International), vol. 62(9), pages 1876-1904, October.
    3. Calomiris, Charles W. & Flandreau, Marc & Laeven, Luc, 2016. "Political foundations of the lender of last resort: A global historical narrative," Journal of Financial Intermediation, Elsevier, vol. 28(C), pages 48-65.
    4. Pandey, Dharen Kumar & Lucey, Brian M. & Kumar, Satish, 2023. "Border disputes, conflicts, war, and financial markets research: A systematic review," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 65(C).
    5. Flandreau, Marc, 2017. "Reputation, Regulation and the Collapse of International Capital Markets, 1920-1935," CEPR Discussion Papers 11747, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    6. ARMSTRONG, Shiro, 2023. "International Economic Policy for Asia in an Era of Great Power Strategic Competition," Discussion papers 23035, Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI).
    7. Marc Flandreau, 2013. "Sovereign states, bondholders committees, and the London Stock Exchange in the nineteenth century (1827–68): new facts and old fictions," Oxford Review of Economic Policy, Oxford University Press and Oxford Review of Economic Policy Limited, vol. 29(4), pages 668-696, WINTER.

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