The Architecture of Institutional Friction
We analyze institutions not as static monuments, but as evolving systems shaped by historical friction, empirical data, and shifting political landscapes.
Evolving Systems
To understand modern economic policy, we must first dissect the historical forces that built our governing structures. Our research charts how friction between state power and market dynamics produces lasting institutional paths.
Historical Trajectories
Every policy choice leaves a permanent imprint. By tracing these paths over centuries, we uncover the structural patterns that modern policy too often ignores.
Archival Evidence
Our methodology bridges the qualitative precision of historical archives with the quantitative power of modern econometrics, establishing an unshakeable empirical foundation.
Quantitative Integration
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A comprehensive index of archival databases compiled across historic European and American state repositories to track institutional friction.
We digitize centuries of trade records, legislative votes, and tax registries, converting raw archival friction into structured datasets that test long-held macroeconomic theories.
Contemporary Governance
Applying historical insights to modern institutional crises. We actively study how state capacity, sovereign debt, and administrative structures adapt to modern geopolitical pressures.
Christie McDonald
Publications
Inquiries
cmcdonal@fas.harvard.edu
Harvard University — Department of Government