Most analyses of modern capitalism focus on bargains struck between workers, managers, and owners (and the different types of firms they inhabit). But considering the substantial influence of institutional inertia on modern outcomes, it is necessary to examine the origins, and to consider which actors were most important in the early construction of capitalist systems. In this regard, farmers have played a critical role. I examine four cases - early 19th Century United States, early 20th Century United States, post-WWII France, and post-WWII Japan - to assess farmers’ influence on the origins of contemporary institutions, and find that they have played an important, though frequently overlooked, role.
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Paper provided by University Library of Munich, Germany in its series MPRA Paper with number
5148.
Find related papers by JEL classification: P0 - Economic Systems - - General N20 - Economic History - - Financial Markets and Institutions - - - General, International, or Comparative
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