Why even monarchs and dictators need political consent

National decisions cannot be reduced to the preferences of a cabinet or ruler. Even powerful monarchs and dictators need taxes, soldiers, officers, and administrators, because no individual can collect resources or execute every decision alone. Their rule therefore depends on the consent or active support of at least part of the population. As the middle class expanded, the pool whose cooperation mattered also widened substantially. This political foundation helps explain why sustaining naval infrastructure requires state capacity and social support alongside money and ship design.