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A Review of Avner Greif's Institutions and the Path to the Modern Economy: Lessons from Medieval Trade

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  • Gregory Clark

Abstract

Avner Greif's Institutions and the Path to the Modern Economy: Lessons from Medieval Trade (Cambridge University Press, 2006) is a major work in the ongoing project of many economists and economic historians to show that institutions are the fundamental driver of all economic history and of all contemporary differences in economic performance. This review outlines the contribution of this book to the project and the general status of this long standing ambition.

Suggested Citation

  • Gregory Clark, 2007. "A Review of Avner Greif's Institutions and the Path to the Modern Economy: Lessons from Medieval Trade," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 45(3), pages 725-741, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:aea:jeclit:v:45:y:2007:i:3:p:725-741
    Note: DOI: 10.1257/jel.45.3.725
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    6. George Grantham, 2006. "Prehistoric Origins Of European Economic Integration," Departmental Working Papers 2006-28, McGill University, Department of Economics.
    7. Greif, Avner, 1993. "Contract Enforceability and Economic Institutions in Early Trade: the Maghribi Traders' Coalition," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 83(3), pages 525-548, June.
    8. Philip T. Hoffman, 1988. "Institutions and Agriculture in Old Regime France," Politics & Society, , vol. 16(2-3), pages 241-264, June.
    9. Gregory Clark, 2007. "Introduction to A Farewell to Alms: A Brief Economic History of the World," Introductory Chapters, in: A Farewell to Alms: A Brief Economic History of the World, Princeton University Press.
    10. Clark, Gregory, 1998. "Commons Sense: Common Property Rights, Efficiency, and Institutional Change," The Journal of Economic History, Cambridge University Press, vol. 58(1), pages 73-102, March.
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    1. Do we know why nations fail?
      by Francesc Trillas in Real Progress on 2012-11-14 18:34:00

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    Cited by:

    1. McCloskey, Deirdre Nansen, 2009. "The Institution of Douglass North," MPRA Paper 21768, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    2. Erik Lindberg, 2009. "Club goods and inefficient institutions: why Danzig and Lübeck failed in the early modern period," Economic History Review, Economic History Society, vol. 62(3), pages 604-628, August.
    3. Kevin H. O’Rourke & Ahmed S. Rahman & Alan M. Taylor, 2012. "Trade, Technology and the Great Divergence," Departmental Working Papers 35, United States Naval Academy Department of Economics.
    4. Claude Diebolt, 2011. "The Stakes of Cliometrics in Ancient History," Historical Social Research (Section 'Cliometrics'), Association Française de Cliométrie (AFC), vol. 36(3), pages 350-361.
    5. McCloskey, Deirdre Nansen, 2009. "Growth, Quality, Happiness, and the Poor," MPRA Paper 17967, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    6. Mika Kallioinen, 2017. "Inter‐communal institutions in medieval trade," Economic History Review, Economic History Society, vol. 70(4), pages 1131-1152, November.
    7. Paul Minard, 2020. "Institutions and China's comparative development," Papers 2001.02804, arXiv.org.
    8. J-L.Demeulemeester & C.Diebolt, 2011. "New Institutional History of the Adaptive Efficiency of Higher Education Systems. Lessons from the Prussian Engineering Education: 1806-1914," Economies et Sociétés (Serie 'Histoire Economique Quantitative'), Association Française de Cliométrie (AFC), issue 43, pages 33-63, January.
    9. Giovanni Dosi & Luigi Marengo & Alessandro Nuvolari, 2020. "Institutions and economic change: some notes on self-organization, power and learning in human organizations," Eurasian Business Review, Springer;Eurasia Business and Economics Society, vol. 10(1), pages 1-22, March.
    10. Koyama, Mark, 2010. "Evading the 'Taint of Usury': The usury prohibition as a barrier to entry," Explorations in Economic History, Elsevier, vol. 47(4), pages 420-442, October.
    11. Bertrand Crettez & Régis Deloche, 2018. "An analytic narrative of Caesar’s death: Suicide or not? That is the question," Rationality and Society, , vol. 30(3), pages 332-349, August.
    12. Arnaud Buchs, 2012. "Périodiser les phases de régime et de crise des usages de l'eau. L'apport d'une approche en termes de modes d'usage de l'eau," Post-Print halshs-00716693, HAL.
    13. Ruth F.G. Williams & D.P. Doessel & Jerneja Sveticic, 2012. "Are there Regional Disparities in Suicide Rates? Quantifying Suicide Rates? Quantifying Suicide Distributions for Queensland, 1990-2007," Working Papers 2012.02, School of Economics, La Trobe University.
    14. Kaire Põder, 2010. "Credible commitment and cartel: the case of the Hansa merchant in the guild of late medieval Tallin," Baltic Journal of Economics, Baltic International Centre for Economic Policy Studies, vol. 10(1), pages 43-60, June.
    15. McCloskey, Deirdre Nansen, 2009. "The Inheritance of Gregory Clark," MPRA Paper 21326, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    16. Giovanni Dosi & Luigi Marengo & Alessandro Nuvolari, 2019. "Institutions are neither autistic maximizers nor flocks of birds: self-organization, power and learning in human organizations," Chapters, in: Francesca Gagliardi & David Gindis (ed.), Institutions and Evolution of Capitalism, chapter 13, pages 194-213, Edward Elgar Publishing.

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