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Persistence and Change in Culture and Institutions under Autarchy, Trade, and Factor Mobility

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  • Marianna Belloc
  • Samuel Bowles

Abstract

Differences among nations in culture (preferences including social norms) and institutions (contracts) may result in specialization and gains from trade even in the absence of exogenous differences in factor endowments or technologies. Goods differ in the kinds of contracts that are appropriate for their production, and so strategic complementarities between contracts and social norms may result in a multiplicity of cultural-institutional equilibria. The resulting country differences in culture and institutions provide the basis for comparative advantage. In our evolutionary model of endogenous preferences and institutions, transitions among persistent cultural-institutional configurations occur as a result of decentralized and uncoordinated contractual or behavioral innovations by employers or employees. We show that the gains from trade raise the cost of deviations from the prevailing culture and institutions. As a result, trade liberalization impedes decentralized transitions, even to Pareto-improving cultural-institutional configurations. International factor mobility has the opposite effect.

Suggested Citation

  • Marianna Belloc & Samuel Bowles, 2017. "Persistence and Change in Culture and Institutions under Autarchy, Trade, and Factor Mobility," American Economic Journal: Microeconomics, American Economic Association, vol. 9(4), pages 245-276, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:aea:aejmic:v:9:y:2017:i:4:p:245-76
    Note: DOI: 10.1257/mic.20160079
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Costinot, Arnaud, 2009. "On the origins of comparative advantage," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 77(2), pages 255-264, April.
    2. World Bank, 2012. "World Development Indicators 2012," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 6014, August.
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    Cited by:

    1. Daron Acemoglu, 2022. "Obedience in the Labour Market and Social Mobility: A Socioeconomic Approach," Economica, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 89(S1), pages 2-37, June.
    2. Arthur Silve & Thierry Verdier & Thierry Verdier, 2023. "The Dynastic Transmission of Power, Exit Options and the Coevolution of Rent-Seeking Elites," CESifo Working Paper Series 10410, CESifo.
    3. Luis-Felipe Arizmendi, 2025. "Barter and Hierarchy: A Practical Perspective on Food, Society, and Knowledge in the Inca Empire," Papers 2504.15726, arXiv.org.
    4. Ingela Alger & Jörgen W. Weibull, 2019. "Evolutionary Models of Preference Formation," Annual Review of Economics, Annual Reviews, vol. 11(1), pages 329-354, August.
    5. Mazouz, Khelifa & Wood, Geoffrey & Yin, Shuxing & Zhang, Mao, 2021. "Comprehending the outward FDI from Latin America and OCED: A comparative perspective," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 30(5).
    6. Yuki Takara & Shingo Takagi, 2023. "An empirical approach to measure unobserved cultural relations using music trade data," Journal of Cultural Economics, Springer;The Association for Cultural Economics International, vol. 47(2), pages 205-245, June.
    7. Se Mi Park, 2021. "The interrelation between formal and informal institutions through international trade," Review of International Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(5), pages 1358-1381, November.
    8. Okada, Akira & Sawa, Ryoji, 2024. "The evolution of collective choice under majority rules," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 225(C), pages 290-304.
    9. Tag, Mehmet Nasih, 2021. "Judicial institutions of property rights protection and foreign direct investment inflows," International Review of Law and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 65(C).
    10. Cai, Yang & Zhu, Jiong, 2024. "Cooperative culture and the birth of modern enterprises in China: Evidence from the signing of the Treaty of Shimonoseki," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 163(C).
    11. Boltho, Andrea & Carlin, Wendy & Scaramozzino, Pasquale, 2018. "Why East Germany did not become a new Mezzogiorno," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 46(1), pages 308-325.
    12. Danko Tarabar, 2019. "Globalization, cultural distance, and cultural convergence: some new evidence," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 39(1), pages 453-466.
    13. Peter Grajzl & Peter Murrell, 2024. "From Status to Contract? A Macrohistory from Early-Modern English Caselaw and Print Culture," CESifo Working Paper Series 11246, CESifo.
    14. Harris,Colin & Cai,Meina & Murtazashvili,Ilia & Murtazashvili,Jennifer Brick, 2020. "The Origins and Consequences of Property Rights," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9781108969055, Enero.
    15. Robert Gmeiner, 2021. "International free riding on institutions," Economic Affairs, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 41(1), pages 123-140, February.
    16. Qiao Chen & Jianquan Cheng & Zhiqin Wu, 2019. "Evolution of the Cultural Trade Network in “the Belt and Road” Region: Implication for Global Cultural Sustainability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(10), pages 1-23, May.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • D02 - Microeconomics - - General - - - Institutions: Design, Formation, Operations, and Impact
    • D86 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Economics of Contract Law
    • F11 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Neoclassical Models of Trade
    • F21 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - International Investment; Long-Term Capital Movements
    • J41 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Particular Labor Markets - - - Labor Contracts
    • O43 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity - - - Institutions and Growth
    • Z13 - Other Special Topics - - Cultural Economics - - - Economic Sociology; Economic Anthropology; Language; Social and Economic Stratification

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