On the Joint Evolution of Culture and Institutions

Alberto Bisin and Thierry Verdier

No 2017-039, Working Papers from Human Capital and Economic Opportunity Working Group

Abstract: Explanations of economic growth and prosperity commonly identify a unique causal effect, e.g., institutions, culture, human capital, geography. In this paper we provide instead a theoretical modeling of the interaction between culture and institutions and their effects on economic activity. We characterize conditions on the socio-economic environment such that culture and institutions complement (resp. substitute) each other, giving rise to a multiplier effect which amplifies (resp. dampens) their combined ability to spur economic activity. We show how the joint dynamics of culture and institutions may display interesting non-ergodic behavior, hysteresis, oscillations, and comparative dynamics. Finally, in specific example societies, we study how culture and institutions interact to determine the sustainability of extractive societies as well as the formation of civic capital and of legal systems protecting property rights.

Keywords: cultural transmission; evolution of institutions (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O10 P16 P48 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017-05
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-evo, nep-gro, nep-pke and nep-soc
Note: MIP
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (90)

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http://humcap.uchicago.edu/RePEc/hka/wpaper/Bisin_ ... ure-institutions.pdf First version, April 24, 2017 (application/pdf)

Related works:
Working Paper: On the Joint Evolution of Culture and Institutions (2017)
Working Paper: On the Joint Evolution of Culture and Institutions (2017)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hka:wpaper:2017-039

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