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License to Till: The Privileges of the Spanish Mesta as a Case of Second Best Institutions

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Author Info
Drelichman, Mauricio

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Abstract

The Mesta was the association of the migratory shepherds of Castile, controlling fine wool production between the thirteenth and the nineteenth centuries. Its royally granted privileges have often been blamed for the stagnant Spanish agricultural productivity during the Early Modern period. I argue that the Mesta's privileges allowed Medieval Castile to develop its comparative advantage in wool, and that the Crown was able to restrict their scope and application when economic conditions favored arable farming interests. I support my argument with extensive archival data, including a new series of wool prices and a detailed analysis of lawsuits involving the Mesta.

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Paper provided by UBC Department of Economics in its series UBC Departmental Archives with number drelichman-06-04-24-11-33-27.

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Length: 41 pages
Date of creation: 24 Apr 2006
Date of revision: 03 Oct 2008
Handle: RePEc:ubc:bricol:drelichman-06-04-24-11-33-27

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Related research
Keywords: Mesta; Institutions; Property Rights; Privileges; Enforcement; Legal Records; Spain; Castile;

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Find related papers by JEL classification:
N0 - Economic History - - General
N43 - Economic History - - Government, War, Law, and Regulation - - - Europe: Pre-1913
N53 - Economic History - - Agriculture, Natural Resources, Environment and Extractive Industries - - - Europe: Pre-1913

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References listed on IDEAS
Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:
  1. Robert E. Hall & Charles I. Jones, 1999. "Why Do Some Countries Produce So Much More Output per Worker than Others?," NBER Working Papers 6564, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  2. Richardson, Gary, 2004. "Guilds, laws, and markets for manufactured merchandise in late-medieval England," Explorations in Economic History, Elsevier, vol. 41(1), pages 1-25, January. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  3. Mauricio Drelichman, 2005. "Sons of Something: Taxes, Lawsuits and Local Political Control in Sixteenth Century Castile," Economic History 0508004, EconWPA. [Downloadable!]
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  4. Grossman, Gene M & Helpman, Elhanan, 1994. "Protection for Sale," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 84(4), pages 833-50, September. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  5. Drelichman, Mauricio, 2005. "The curse of Moctezuma: American silver and the Dutch disease," Explorations in Economic History, Elsevier, vol. 42(3), pages 349-380, July. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  6. Daron Acemoglu & Simon Johnson & James A. Robinson, 2001. "The Colonial Origins of Comparative Development: An Empirical Investigation," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 91(5), pages 1369-1401, December. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  7. Mauricio Drelichman, 2005. "Sons of Something: Taxes, Lawsuits and Local Political Control in Sixteenth Century Castile," 2005 Meeting Papers 91, Society for Economic Dynamics. [Downloadable!]
  8. Nugent, Jeffrey B. & Sanchez, Nicolas, 1989. "The efficiency of the mesta: A parable," Explorations in Economic History, Elsevier, vol. 26(3), pages 261-284, July. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  9. John H. A. Munro, 2005. "Spanish Merino Wools and the Nouvelles Draperies: An Industrial Transformation in the Late-Medieval Low Countries," Working Papers munro-04-03, University of Toronto, Department of Economics. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  10. Dani Rodrik & Arvind Subramanian & Francesco Trebbi, 2004. "Institutions Rule: The Primacy of Institutions Over Geography and Integration in Economic Development," Journal of Economic Growth, Springer, vol. 9(2), pages 131-165, 06. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
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