Massimo Morelli, Bocconi University

"Social Structure, State, and Economic Activity"

Abstract

Most societies in the world contain strong group identities and the culture supporting these groups is highly persistent. This persistence in turn gives rise to a practical problem: how do and should societies with strong group identities organize themselves for exchange and public good provision? In this paper, we develop a theoretical framework that allows us to study, normatively and positively, the relationship between social structure, state capacity, and economic activity.

Contact person: Peter Norman Sørensen