Religious co-option in autocracy: A theory inspired by history

The relationship between religion and politics is explored from a theoretical standpoint, assuming that religious clerics can be co-opted by the ruler acting as an autocrat. The comparative effects of decentralized versus centralized religions on the optimal level of cooperation between the autocrat and the religious clerics, which itself impinges upon political stability, is analysed. The paper shows that the presence of a decentralized body of...