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  3. Journal of Economic Literature
  4. December 2015
  5. Culture and Institutions

Culture and Institutions

  • Alberto Alesina
  • Paola Giuliano
Journal of Economic Literature
vol. 53, no. 4, December 2015
(pp. 898-944)
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Abstract

A growing body of empirical work measuring different types of cultural traits has shown that culture matters for a variety of economic outcomes. This paper focuses on one specific aspect of the relevance of culture: its relationship to institutions. We review work with a theoretical, empirical, and historical bent to assess the presence of a two-way causal effect between culture and institutions. (JEL D02, D72, I32, J12, Z13)

Citation

Alesina, Alberto, and Paola Giuliano. 2015. "Culture and Institutions." Journal of Economic Literature, 53 (4): 898-944. DOI: 10.1257/jel.53.4.898

Additional Materials

JEL Classification

  • D02 Institutions: Design, Formation, Operations, and Impact
  • D72 Political Processes: Rent-seeking, Lobbying, Elections, Legislatures, and Voting Behavior
  • I32 Measurement and Analysis of Poverty
  • J12 Marriage; Marital Dissolution; Family Structure; Domestic Abuse
  • Z13 Economic Sociology; Economic Anthropology; Social and Economic Stratification