There is astounding variation in product quality sold in markets even when quality is difficult to ascertain and rules are poorly enforced. We investigate whether sellers differ in innate honesty (incur private cost to provide good quality) and whether this explains the variation in quality. Our...

There is astounding variation in product quality sold in markets even when quality is difficult to ascertain and rules are poorly enforced. We investigate whether sellers differ in innate honesty (incur private cost to provide good quality) and whether this explains the variation in quality. Our...

Does self-governance, a hallmark of democratic societies, foster or erode norms of generalized cooperation? Does this effect persist, and if so, why? I investigate these questions using a natural experiment in Switzerland. In the middle-ages, the absence of an heir resulted in the extinction of...

Does market exposure shape civic values and rules that constrain opportunistic behavior and foster generalized cooperation? I investigate this question using a natural experiment on market location from Ethiopia, where exchange is prone to cooperation problems from asymmetric information and...

Sellers display astounding differences in their cheating behavior, even in developing countries with weak enforcement of rules. Using the context of informal milk markets in India, we examine the role of reputation and norms of honesty as potential explanations. Our results show that individuals...

Does self-governance, a hallmark of democratic societies, foster or erode norms of generalized cooperation? Does this effect persist, and if so, why? I investigate these questions using a natural experiment in Switzerland. In the middle-ages, the absence of an heir resulted in the extinction of...