The article analyzes the connections between societal coercion and punishment in contemporary Western and related societies and a particular form of religion, namely Puritanism and its theocracy. It argues that Puritanism and its theocracy tend to determine the level of coercion and punishment in the US and hence make the latter path-dependent on the former. It traces the historical path from Puritanism in the past to coercion and punishment in the US in later eras and today. It adopts the concept and outlines the model of coercive theocracy represented in a functionalist scheme. It first re-examines the Puritan theocracy in early America, in particular its pervasive use and prescription of capital and harsh punishment and the reign of state terror overall. It then focuses on coercion and punishment in Western and other contemporary societies positing that Puritan theocracy or Puritanism has left an enduring legacy in these practices.

中文翻译：

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社会强制与路径依赖：当代社会中的惩罚与清教主义

本文分析了当代西方和相关社会中的社会强制和惩罚与一种特定宗教形式，即清教及其神权政治之间的联系。它认为，清教主义及其神权政治倾向于决定美国的强制和惩罚水平，从而使后者依赖于前者。它追溯了从过去的清教主义到后来和今天美国的强制和惩罚的历史路径。它采用了这一概念，并概述了以功能主义方案为代表的强制性神权政治模式。它首先重新审视了美国早期的清教徒神权政治，特别是其普遍使用和规定的死刑和严厉惩罚以及整个国家恐怖统治。