Missing Discussions: Institutional Constraints in the Islamic Political Tradition

A. Arda Gitmez, James Robinson and Mehdi Shadmehr

No 30916, NBER Working Papers from National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc

Abstract: Institutional constraints to prevent abuses of power have been considered essential in the West. An intellectual tradition emerged to justify them. We identify a puzzle: such an intellectual tradition did not exist in the Islamic world, despite the recognition of potential for abuse. We develop a model to explain this difference in normative traditions. Islamic law was more encompassing than divine law in the West, making it easier for citizens to identify and address abuses of power through collective action. Islamic tradition’s core assumptions made the collective action approach to accountability preferable to the institutional approach favored in the West.

JEL-codes: D70 D72 D78 H11 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023-02
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-cdm and nep-pol
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Working Paper: Missing Discussions: Institutional Constraints in the Islamic Political Tradition (2024)
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