Conrad-Demarest Model of Empires Necessary preconditions for the rise of empires?the region must have: State-level government High agricultural potential of the environment An environmental mosaic Several small states with no clear dominant state (power vacuum) Mutual antagonism among those states Adequate military resources (or a military or technological advantage) States succeed in empire building if they have an ideology that promotes personal identification with the state, empire, leader, conquest, and/or militarism Characteristics of well-run empires Build roads and transportation systems, canals, ports, etc. Trade increases Cosmopolitan cities?art and education flourish