conclusions 153
dox that stands at the heart of this book: the need to explain the logic
through which questionable expenditure can become a source of prestige.
These recent examples echo many of Veblen’s original insights, which of-
ten relied on satire to expose the social role of excess. In one of the most
often cited passages of Theory of the Leisure Class, for example, Veblen
sardonically recounts the dismal fate of an unnamed French king who lost
his life as a result of overly pious observance of the rules of class decorum
and good form.
In the absence of the functionary whose office it was to shift his master’s seat,
the king sat uncomplaining before the fire and suffered his royal person to be
toasted beyond recovery. But in so doing he saved his Most Christian Majesty
from menial contamination. (Veblen [ 1899 ] 1979 )
Such tales of ultimate folly in the name of status and prestige are memo-
rable because they defy common sense and go against the instinct of self-
preservation. However, as unforgettable as such egregious examples may
be, they are often a disservice to the broader study of prestige. The poli-
tics of prestige is not limited to lampoonery or satire nor must it always
involve frivolous demonstrations of folly. Methodologically, by focusing
on extreme cases, the researcher can better reject alternative material
explanations — little else can explain such extreme behaviors. However, a
methodology of extreme cases does not necessarily imply a theory of ex-
tremes. Overemphasizing memorable fringe oddities often obscures the
more normalized role of prestige- seeking behavior in average political de-
cisions. Indeed, conspicuous consumption is not restricted to cases of over-
sized bronze statues, apocryphal toasted kings, or fictional pachyderm-
covered towers but rather touches on core issues of international relations
such as procurement patterns, aid policies, research and development
allocations, and even war and peace.
Prestige Matters
Prestige matters. It matters across the board, from fringe to core issues,
even when it is difficult to isolate and measure its independent effect.
Many previous attempts to study prestige stumbled on precisely this is-
sue. Measuring prestige is difficult if not impossible. An attempt to quan-
tify the relative weight of the prestige impetus, actors’ relative levels of
