A pays d'élection (French pronunciation: [pɛi delɛksjɔ̃]) was one of the three types of généralité, or fiscal administrative region, in France under the Ancien Régime. The representative of the royal government, the intendant, split up the impôts in each region with the aid of the élus, who were for a long time elected by the States General, hence the name of their office and of the pays d'élection. From 1614 to 1789, however, the States General did not meet, and instead the King named the intendants and the élus. This was in contrast to the pays d'état, such as Brittany or Burgundy, where fiscal policy was regulated by local rules and benefited from a certain autonomy, and to the pays d'imposition such as Franche-Comté.
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Généralité in the context of Pays d'état
Under the Ancien Régime, a pays d'états (French pronunciation: [pei deta], lit. 'Land of states') was a type of généralité, or fiscal and financial region where, in contrast to the pays d'election, an estates provincial or representative assembly of the three orders had retained its traditional role of negotiating the raising of taxes with the royal commissaires or intendants, dividing the tax burden by diocese and parish, and controlling tax collection. The estates also held onto part of the funds thus raised to repair and develop the roads in its province.
According to Roland Mousnier and Bernard Barbiche the pays d'états were: