Not What we Expect: The Political Economies of Classic Period Mayan Polities

We are accustomed to viewing the evolution of political economy as integrating the political and economic interests of an emerging ruling power.  The Mayan polities of the Classical period in Mesoamerica challenge this concept in that they exhibit a lack of integration between politics and economics, which left ruling families exposed to frequent power challenges and crippled the ability of policies to integrate conquered territories.