Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Informal Institutions and Development: Chapter FOUR
Informal Institutions and Development: Chapter FOUR
DEVELOPMENT
Chapter FOUR
Outline
This chapter covers
3. Empirical evidence
Institutions
‘Institutions are a set of rules, compliance procedures and
moral and ethical behavioural norms designed to constrain the
behaviour of individuals in the interests of maximising the
wealth or utility of the principals’ (North, 1981).
But, we are still some way away from knowing exactly which
institutions in exactly which forms are necessary, or at least
useful, for economic development in which contexts.
Externalities
are more likely to be internalised, and public
goods provided, in societies where cooperative norms exist
Informal institutions in Development
Itis suggested that the presence of informal institutions can
potentially lead to higher levels of investment in physical and
human capital and higher levels of total factor productivity.
“[e]ffective
traditions of hard work, honesty and integrity
simply lower the cost of transacting and make possible
complex, productive exchange.”
1. Complementary
2. Accommodating
3. Competing
4. Substituting
Informal institutions in Development
Complementary
The content of the specific laws may matter very little if in fact
pre-existing norms already form informal checks and balances
on public officials. In this scenario, knowing what about anti-
corruption law matters requires that one understand how the
norm and law interacts to form the beneficial outcome. Both
might reinforce the check on corruption, or the formal laws (due
to some fluke) may hinder the informal checks in place.
Informal institutions in Development
Accommodating
When there are a large number of small parties (party fractionalisation) and
when parties are often overthrown at elections (party turnover), then more
primary schools built.
Number of middle schools is not affected by any political variable except the
margin of victory – higher this is, smaller the number of middle schools.
If schools are to be used as election winners, then primary schools easier to set
up……also see that they are very tangible. Less likely to see quality of schools
being improved.