City of Capital: Politics and Markets in the English Financial Revolution

While many have examined how economic interests motivate political action, in this volume Bruce Carruthers explores the reverse relationship by focusing on how political interests shape a market. He sets his inquiry within the context of late-Stuart England, when an active stock market emerged and when Whig and Tory parties vied for control of a newly empowered Parliament. The institutional link between politics and the markets is considered, and the author argues that competitive markets are not inherently apolitical spheres guided by economic interest, but rather ongoing creations of social actors pursuing multiple goals.