6 - Economic Regulation: Imperial Administration in the Colonies

Summary

The crown’s pivot to regulatory imperialism accepted colonial institutions as they existed, and attempted to direct them more vigorously in the English state’s interest. This chapter explores the economic side of that regulation through the Navigation Acts, in particular a strategic perspective on their administration. It shows that the administrative structure of the acts evolved with a sophisticated understanding of the incentive problems of agents charged with their enforcement. The imperial customs bureaucracy in the New World and a crown court system were erected to deal with these problems. At the same time, the chapter explains how the acts were rarely administered so well in practice, which undermined their effectiveness.