Some people, particularly those in positions of authority like monarchs and the clergy, feared the development of print because it threatened their control over information. Before print, they could easily manage what was written and circulated. The printing press made it possible to produce and distribute books and pamphlets quickly and cheaply to a wide audience. They feared that this would allow rebellious, heretical, or seditious ideas to spread rapidly among the common people. If people could read and interpret religious texts or political ideas for themselves, they might begin to question the established authority of the Church and the state, leading to dissent, disorder, and revolution.