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Gennaioli, Nicola; Voth, Hans-Joachim - C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers - 2011

In 1500, Europe was composed of hundreds of statelets and principalities, with weak central authority, no monopoly over the legitimate use of violence, and multiple, overlapping levels of jurisdiction. By 1800, Europe had consolidated into a handful of powerful, centralized nation states. We...

Persistent link: https://www.econbiz.de/10009385769

Geography, Transparency and Institutions

Mayshar, Joram; Moav, Omer; Neeman, Zvika - C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers - 2013

We propose a theory by which geographic variations in the transparency of the production process explain cross-regional differences in the scale of the state, in its hierarchical structure, and in property rights over land. The key linkage between geography and these institutions, we posit, is...

Persistent link: https://www.econbiz.de/10011083761

Further Evidence on the Link between Pre-Colonial Political Centralization and Comparative Economic Development in Africa

Michalopoulos, Stelios; Papaioannou, Elias - C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers - 2014

We examine the link between pre-colonial statehood and contemporary regional African development, as reflected in satellite images on light density at night. We employ a variety of historical maps to capture the former. Our within-country analysis reveals a strong positive correlation between...

Persistent link: https://www.econbiz.de/10011084301

On the Ethnic Origins of African Development: Chiefs and Pre-colonial Political Centralization

Michalopoulos, Stelios; Papaioannou, Elias - C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers - 2014

We report on recent findings of a fruitful research agenda that explores the importance of ethnic-specific traits in shaping African development. First, using recent surveys from Sub-Saharan African countries, we document that individuals identify with their ethnic group as often as with the...

Persistent link: https://www.econbiz.de/10011084579

Enlisting Employees in Improving Payroll-Tax Compliance: Evidence from Mexico

Frías, Judith A; Kumler, Todd; Verhoogen, Eric A - C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers - 2013

Non-compliance of firms with tax regulations is a major constraint on state capacity in developing countries. We focus on an arguably under-appreciated dimension of non-compliance: under-reporting of wages by formal firms to evade payroll taxes. We develop a simple partial-equilibrium model of...

Persistent link: https://www.econbiz.de/10011083313

Taxation and Development

Besley, Timothy J.; Persson, Torsten - C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers - 2013

The central question in taxation and development is: "how does a government go from raising around 10% of GDP in taxes to raising around 40%"? This paper looks at the economic and political forces that shape the way that fiscal capacity is created and sustained. As well as reviewing the...

Persistent link: https://www.econbiz.de/10011083455

Lending to the Borrower from Hell: Debt and Default in the Age of Philip II, 1556-1598

Drelichman, Mauricio; Voth, Hans-Joachim - C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers - 2009

Philip II of Spain accumulated debts equivalent to 60% of GDP. He also failed to honor them four times. We ask what allowed the sovereign to borrow much while defaulting often. Earlier work emphasized either banker irrationality or the importance of sanctions. Using new archival data, we show...

Persistent link: https://www.econbiz.de/10005792053

State Capacity, Conflict and Development

Besley, Timothy J.; Persson, Torsten - C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers - 2009

We report on an on-going project, which asks a number of questions relevant to the study of state capacity. What are the main economic and political determinants of the state’s capacity to raise revenue and support private markets? How do risks of violent conflict affect the incentives to...

Persistent link: https://www.econbiz.de/10005036244

The Origins of State Capacity: Property Rights, Taxation, and Politics

Besley, Timothy J.; Persson, Torsten - C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers - 2007

Economists generally assume the existence of sufficient institutions to sustain a market economy and tax the citizens. However, this starting point cannot easily be taken for granted in many states, neither in history nor in the developing world of today. This paper develops a framework where...

Persistent link: https://www.econbiz.de/10005662311

Citizenship and Employment – comparing two cool countries

Bevelander, Pieter; Pendakur, Ravi - C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers - 2011

Over the last decades, both Canada and Sweden have liberalized citizenship regulations for permanent residents. During … immigrants arriving from non-western countries. The aim of this paper is to explore the link between citizenship and employment …. We use instrumental variable regression to examine the 'clean' impact of citizenship acquisition and the size of the co …

Persistent link: https://www.econbiz.de/10008874618