Emile Durkheim said that when all of the members of a tribe or clan come together, they can sanctify the sacred and experience a spiritual “effervescence.” Friedrich Hayek suggested that certain genes and instincts still dispose us toward the ethos and mentality of the hunter-gatherer band,...

We use a nationwide survey experiment in the United States to measure whether information on intergenerational economic mobility or policy-specific arguments influence support for six pro-mobility policies advocated by political entrepreneurs. We find the information treatments do not affect...

Trust is a key factor affecting investors' decisions to invest in other agents. These “trustee-agents” use an investor's funds to engage in unique risky opportunities. However, little is known about trustee reciprocity in such environments. Our experimental environment is the first to...

Many economic agents, including CEOs, physicians, entrepreneurs, and political leaders are entrusted with decision-making authority. These economic agents act as trustees who make risky decisions, impacting their own welfare and that of their stakeholders. Stakeholders often demand measures to...

Holländer (1990) argued that when non-monetary social approval from peers is sufficiently valuable, it works to promote cooperation. Holländer, however, did not define the characteristics of environments in which high valued approval is likely to occur. This paper provides evidence from a...