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Social Capital and Endogenous Preferences

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  • Anders Poulsen
  • Gert Svendsen

Abstract

In this paper we analyze whether social capital can emerge endogenously from a process of preference evolution. We define social capital as preferences that promote voluntary cooperation in a one-shot Prisoner’s Dilemma game. We investigate how the endogenous preferences depend on the amount of information individuals have about each other’s preferences. When there is sufficiently much information, maximal social capital emerges. In general, the level of social capital varies positively with the amount of information. Our results may add to an understanding of the factors that determine a society’s ability to generate cooperative outcomes. Copyright Springer Science + Business Media, Inc. 2005

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  • Anders Poulsen & Gert Svendsen, 2005. "Social Capital and Endogenous Preferences," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 123(1), pages 171-196, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:pubcho:v:123:y:2005:i:1:p:171-196
    DOI: 10.1007/s11127-005-0266-0
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    Cited by:

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    2. Poulsen, Odile & Svendsen, Gert Tinggaard, 2005. "Love Thy Neighbor: Bonding versus Bridging Trust," Working Papers 05-7, University of Aarhus, Aarhus School of Business, Department of Economics.
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    6. Bergh, Andreas & Engseld, Peter, 2005. "The Problem of Cooperation and Reputation Based Choice," Working Papers 2005:27, Lund University, Department of Economics, revised 04 May 2006.
    7. Poulsen, Odile & Svendsen, Gert Tinggaard, 2004. "Social Capital and Market Centralisation: A Two-Sector Model," Working Papers 04-12, University of Aarhus, Aarhus School of Business, Department of Economics.
    8. Hernández, José & Guerrero-Luchtenberg, César, 2016. "Social capital, perceptions and economic performance," MPRA Paper 71006, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    9. Edgar Carrera, 2012. "Imitation and evolutionary stability of poverty traps," Journal of Bioeconomics, Springer, vol. 14(1), pages 1-20, April.
    10. Cai, Meina & Caskey, Gregory W. & Cowen, Nick & Murtazashvili, Ilia & Murtazashvili, Jennifer Brick & Salahodjaev, Raufhon, 2022. "Individualism, economic freedom, and charitable giving," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 200(C), pages 868-884.
    11. Stefano Dughera & Alain Marciano, 2023. "Inside Buchanan's Samaritan's Dilemma: altruism, strategic courage and ethics of responsibility," Economics of Governance, Springer, vol. 24(2), pages 207-233, June.
    12. Dincer, Oguzhan C. & Fredriksson, Per G., 2018. "Corruption and environmental regulatory policy in the United States: Does trust matter?," Resource and Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 54(C), pages 212-225.
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