Institutional Transformations, Polity and Economic Outcomes: Testing the North-Wallis-Weingast Doorsteps Framework

March 1, 2012

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Format: Chicago

Marc G Quintyn, and Sophia Gollwitzer. Institutional Transformations, Polity and Economic Outcomes: Testing the North-Wallis-Weingast Doorsteps Framework, (USA: International Monetary Fund, 2012) accessed November 21, 2024

Disclaimer: This Working Paper should not be reported as representing the views of the IMF.The views expressed in this Working Paper are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent those of the IMF or IMF policy. Working Papers describe research in progress by the author(s) and are published to elicit comments and to further debate

Summary

This paper tests the theoretical framework developed by North, Wallis and Weingast (2009) on the transition from closed to open access societies. They posit that societies need to go through three doorsteps: (i) the establishment of rule of law among elites; (ii) the adoption of perpetually existing organizations; and (iii) the political control of the military. We identify indicators reflecting these doorsteps and graphically test the correlation between them and a set of political and economic variables. Finally, through Identification through Heteroskedasticity we test these relationships econometrically. The paper broadly confirms the logic behind the doorsteps as necessary steps in the transition to open access societies. The doorsteps influence economic and political processes, as well as each other, with varying intensity. We also identify income inequality as a potentially important force leading to social change.

Subject: Corruption, Crime, Expenditure, Income inequality, Labor, National accounts, Personal income

Keywords: Asia and Pacific, Corruption, Economic performance, Europe, Gini coefficient, Government expenditure, Income inequality, Income inequality, Institutions, NWW transition framework, Open access order, Open access society, Personal income, Political performance, Political system, Transition, WP

Publication Details

Pages:

58
Volume:

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DOI:

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Issue:

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Series:

Working Paper No. 2012/087
Stock No:

WPIEA2012087
ISBN:

9781475502510
ISSN:

1018-5941

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