Research Cases

Structural case studies on states, companies, and civilizations, analyzed through Three-Layer Analysis (TLA) and OS Organizational Design Theory.

Research Case: Why Did the Patricians Continue to Obstruct Plebeian Consuls and Their Elections Even after the First Plebeian Consul Appeared?

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A Three-Layer Analysis (TLA) of Livy, History of Rome, Book 7 1. Question In Livy’s History of Rome from its Foundation, Book VII, Lucius Sextius became consul as a plebeian. This was the moment when the political reform associated with the Licinian Sextian laws was no longer only a legal demand. It became an actual … Read more

Research Case: Why Did the Patricians Secure the Praetorship and Curule Aedileship in Exchange for Accepting a Plebeian Consul?

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A Three-Layer Analysis (TLA) of Livy, History of Rome, Book 7 1. Question At the beginning of Livy’s Book VII, Lucius Sextius, a plebeian, entered the consulship. This was a major change in the political structure of the Roman Republic. One of Rome’s highest offices was no longer controlled only by the patricians. However, the … Read more

Research Case: Why Did the Sharing of Public Office Begin a New Struggle over Governing Authority Instead of Ending the Conflict between Patricians and Plebeians?

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A Three-Layer Analysis (TLA) of Livy, History of Rome, Book 7 1. Question At the beginning of Livy’s Book VII, an important political change took place in the Roman Republic. Lucius Sextius, a plebeian, became consul. One of the highest offices of the Republic was no longer reserved only for patricians. At first sight, this … Read more

Research Case: How Did Rome Survive Political Conflict, Debt Crisis, Alliance Expansion, and Military Mutiny and Still Build the Capacity for Larger Wars?

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A Three-Layer Analysis (TLA) of Livy, History of Rome, Book 7 1. Question Livy’s Book VII does not describe a stable Roman Republic. Rome faced political conflict between the nobles and the common people over access to the highest magistracies. The common people also suffered from serious debt. At the same time, Rome expanded its … Read more

Research Case: Why can the compromise of the plebeian consul and the patrician praetor be read as an institutional update, not as the collapse of the Republican OS?

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A Three-Layer Analysis (TLA) of Livy, History of Rome, Book 6 1. Question Why can the compromise of the plebeian consul and the patrician praetor be read as an institutional update, not as the collapse of the Republican OS? This question is important for understanding the endpoint of Livy’s Book 6. At the end of … Read more

Research Case: Why was the opening of religion, auspices, and priestly offices linked with the distribution of public office?

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A Three-Layer Analysis (TLA) of Livy, History of Rome, Book 6 1. Question Why was the opening of religion, auspices, and priestly offices linked with the distribution of public office? This question is important for understanding the final stage of the Licinio Sextian reforms in Livy’s Book 6. From a modern viewpoint, religious office and … Read more

Research Case: Why did plebeian entry into the Ten Men for Sacred Rites become a step toward the consulship?

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A Three-Layer Analysis (TLA) of Livy, History of Rome, Book 6 1. Question Why did plebeian entry into the Ten Men for Sacred Rites become a step toward the consulship? This question is important for understanding the final stage of the Licinio Sextian reforms in Livy’s Book 6. From a modern viewpoint, the Ten Men … Read more

Research Case: Why did the patricians finally have to make partial concessions while resisting the plebeian consul?

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A Three-Layer Analysis (TLA) of Livy, History of Rome, Book 6 1. Question Why did the patricians finally have to make partial concessions while resisting the plebeian consul? This question is important for understanding the final stage of the institutional conflict in Livy’s Book 6. The patricians strongly resisted the admission of plebeians to the … Read more

Research Case: Why did the plebeians seek entry into the highest office instead of abolishing the patrician order itself?

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A Three-Layer Analysis (TLA) of Livy, History of Rome, Book 6 1. Question Why did the plebeians seek entry into the highest office instead of abolishing the patrician order itself? This question is important for understanding the nature of the Licinio Sextian reforms in Livy’s Book 6. The plebeians did not try to erase the … Read more

Research Case: Why did Licinius and Sextius present debt, land, and public office as one package?

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A Three-Layer Analysis (TLA) of Livy, History of Rome, Book 6 1. Question Why did Licinius and Sextius present debt, land, and public office as one package? This question is important for understanding the core meaning of the Licinio Sextian reforms in the later part of Livy’s Book 6. At first glance, debt, land, and … Read more