18th-Century Society and Demographics Practice Test

The decline of state capacity, as governments abandoned recordkeeping and relied on noble households to manage taxation and conscription without central oversight.

The end of mercantilism, as states stopped regulating labor and trade and therefore ceased collecting statistics about populations and production.

The growth of bureaucratic governance and “reason of state,” in which rulers used demographic data to rationalize fiscal systems and strengthen armies.

The replacement of monarchies by democratic republics across Europe, which made censuses unnecessary because citizens volunteered taxes and military service.

The triumph of feudal decentralization, as local lords conducted independent censuses to resist national taxation and prevent centralized military recruitment.