@book{fdi:010092485,
  title = {{E}nforcing colonial rule : blood tax and head tax in {F}rench {W}est {A}frica},
  author = {{C}ogneau, {D}enis and {M}o, {Z}.},
  editor = {},
  language = {{ENG}},
  abstract = {{W}e examine the enforcement of two pillars of colonial rule in {F}rench {W}est {A}frica, military conscription and head tax collection, using novel district-level data from 1919 to 1949. {C}olonial states are often characterized as either omnipotent {L}eviathans or administration on the cheap. {O}ur findings reveal their notable coerciveness in achieving key objectives. {M}ilitary recruitment targets were consistently met, even amid individual avoidance and poor health conditions, by drawing on a pool of eligible fit young men. {T}ax compliance was similarly high, with approximately 80% of the liable population meeting obligations. {S}pikes in head tax rates significantly increased tax-related protests, likely prompting caution among colonial administrators. {T}he tax burden was adjusted according to perceived district affluence, and tax moderation was applied in times of crisis. {H}owever, local shocks such as droughts or cash crop price collapses were largely ignored. {T}hese results underscore the capacity of colonial states to enforce their authority despite limited policy responsiveness, offering new insights into the political economy of colonial governance.},
  keywords = {{AFRIQUE} {DE} {L}'{OUEST} ; {MAURITANIE} ; {MALI} ; {SENEGAL} ; {GUINEE} ; {COTE} {D}'{IVOIRE} ; {BURKINA} {FASO} ; {BENIN} ; {NIGER}},
  address = {{P}aris},
  publisher = {{PSE}},
  series = {{W}orking {P}aper - {PSE}},
  pages = {69  multigr.},
  year = {2024},
  URL = {https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010092485},
}