Rulers and Elites in Global History: Introductory Observations

What persuades people to accept the authority of elites and governments? Coercion, inevitably is part of the answer: disobedience may be punished. Unsurprisingly, most definitions of the ‘state’ underline the monopoly of violence.¹ However, violence and coercion are never the whole story: people are persuaded by the expectation of material advantages and charmed by the cultural allure or ideological appeal of political leadership.² The balance between the ingredients of compliance-forced, instrumental, ideological-has been discussed throughout history.³ Confucius, Mencius, and their literati followers throughout Chinese history contrasted the way of the sage-king, ruling through moral example and righteousness, with the way