Information, Institutions, and Local Government in England, 1... - 9780192896261

Information, Institutions, and Local Government in England, 1550-1700Turning Inside\nAuthor(s): Paul Griffiths\nFormat: Hardback\nPublisher: Oxford University Press, United Kingdom\nImprint: Oxford University Press\nISBN-13: 9780192896261, 978-0192896261\nSynopsis\nThe years between 1550 and 1700 saw significant changes in the nature and scope of local government: sophisticated information and intelligence systems were developed; magistrates came to rely more heavily on surveillance to inform 'good government'; and England's first nationwide system of incarceration was established within bridewells. But while these sizeable and lasting shifts have been well studied, less attention has been paid to the important characteristic that they shared: the 'turning inside' of the title. What was happening beneath this growth in activity was a shift from 'open' to 'closed' management of a host of problems--from the representation of authority itself to treatment of every kind of local disorder.