Which factors played a role in BattleTech's society developing into a fedual future?

Okay, given how much the society in BattleTech tends to be quite fedual with noble titles being widespread (especially the Lyrans where they have too much money and nobles but with too little sense). So how did it develop?

Did the Terran Alliance's issues (leglisative fistfights and loss of faith in democracy) play a part in the populace prefering autocracy in the form of a lord or some other noble over an elected leader or was it the lack of supervison without HPGs that caused society to progress to a fedual future that we see today?