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Ideas, leaders, and institutions in 19th-century Chile

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  • COUYOUMDJIAN, JUAN PABLO
  • LARROULET, CRISTIÁN

Abstract

Institutions matter for economic growth. Thus, the leaders who help to develop institutions, and their ideas and beliefs, must play a central role in any narrative that seeks to explain such growth. This leads to the appearance of institutional entrepreneurs, who act in a given cultural and political environment. We focus on the problem of state building, where formal institutions designed by leaders must be consistent with a given society's existing informal institutions. We consider an analytical narrative focusing on the Chilean experience in the 19th century. This serves as an interesting quasi-natural experiment on the role of ideas, leaders, and institutions in the problem of economic growth and development.

Suggested Citation

  • Couyoumdjian, Juan Pablo & Larroulet, Cristián, 2018. "Ideas, leaders, and institutions in 19th-century Chile," Journal of Institutional Economics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 14(5), pages 925-947, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:cup:jinsec:v:14:y:2018:i:05:p:925-947_00
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