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The de Soto Effect

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  • Besley, Tim
  • Ghatak, Maitreesh

Abstract

This paper explores the consequences of creating and improving property rights so that fixed assets can be used as collateral. This has become a cause célèbre of Hernando de Soto whose views are influential in debates about policy reform concerning property rights. Hence, we refer to the economic impact of such reforms as the de Soto effect. We explore the logic of the argument for credit contracts, both in isolation, and in market equilibrium. We show that the impact will vary with the degree of market competition. Where competition is weak, it is possible that borrowers will be worse off when property rights improve. We discuss the implications for optimal policy and the political economy of policy reform.

Suggested Citation

  • Besley, Tim & Ghatak, Maitreesh, 2009. "The de Soto Effect," CEPR Discussion Papers 7259, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    • Handle: RePEc:cpr:ceprdp:7259
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    As found by EconAcademics.org, the blog aggregator for Economics research:
    1. Competition, property rights and credit
      by Economic Logician in Economic Logic on 2009-10-23 19:01:00

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    3. Chaoran Chen & Diego Restuccia & Raül Santaeulàlia-Llopis, 2023. "Land Misallocation and Productivity," American Economic Journal: Macroeconomics, American Economic Association, vol. 15(2), pages 441-465, April.
    4. Esther Acquah & Lorenzo Carbonari & Alessio Farcomeni & Giovanni Trovato, 2023. "Institutions and economic development: new measurements and evidence," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 65(4), pages 1693-1728, October.
    5. Yanlong Zhang, 2021. "The Demsetz’s Evolutionary Theory of Property Rights as Applied to Rural Land of China: A Supplement," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(9), pages 1-15, August.
    6. Sebastian Galiani & Ernesto Schargrodsky, 2011. "Land Property Rights and Resource Allocation," Journal of Law and Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 54(S4), pages 329-345.
    7. Gani Aldashev, 2009. "Legal institutions, political economy, and development," Oxford Review of Economic Policy, Oxford University Press and Oxford Review of Economic Policy Limited, vol. 25(2), pages 257-270, Summer.
    8. Mauricio de Moura & Marcos Ribeiro & Caio Piza, 2014. "Are there any distributive effects of land title on labor supply? evidence from Brazil," IZA Journal of Labor & Development, Springer;Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit GmbH (IZA), vol. 3(1), pages 1-18, December.
    9. Rahmat Aris Pratomo & D. Ary A. Samsura & Erwin van der Krabben, 2020. "Transformation of Local People’s Property Rights Induced by New Town Development (Case Studies in Peri-Urban Areas in Indonesia)," Land, MDPI, vol. 9(7), pages 1-24, July.
    10. Amendola Nicola & Carbonari Lorenzo & Ferraris Leo, 2020. "Collateral and development," The B.E. Journal of Macroeconomics, De Gruyter, vol. 20(1), pages 1-17, January.
    11. Caio Piza & Mauricio José Serpa Barros de Moura, 2011. "How Does Land Title Affect Access to Credit? Empirical Evidence from an Emerging Economy," Working Paper Series 2211, Department of Economics, University of Sussex Business School.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Hernando de soto; Collateral; Credit markets;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • G20 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - General
    • G28 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Government Policy and Regulation
    • K11 - Law and Economics - - Basic Areas of Law - - - Property Law
    • O16 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Financial Markets; Saving and Capital Investment; Corporate Finance and Governance

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