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The political economy of the Reconstruction Era’s race riots

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  • Art Carden
  • Christopher Coyne

Abstract

This paper analyzes the political economy of the Reconstruction Era’s (1865–1877) race riots through the economic logic of rules. The central argument is that the race riots were not an inevitable outcome at the end of the Civil War, but instead occurred because of the absence of effective rules to raise the cost of engaging in violence. We offer a general framework of ‘rule stickiness’ to analyze the process of rule reform. This framework offers insight into the conditions influencing the enforcement costs of formal rules, as well as the likelihood of third-party enforcers effectively monitoring and punishing rule breakers. The Memphis race riot of 1866 is provided as a case study to illuminate the explanatory power of the theoretical framework. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2013

Suggested Citation

  • Art Carden & Christopher Coyne, 2013. "The political economy of the Reconstruction Era’s race riots," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 157(1), pages 57-71, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:pubcho:v:157:y:2013:i:1:p:57-71
    DOI: 10.1007/s11127-012-9955-7
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Peter J. Boettke & Christopher J. Coyne & Peter T. Leeson, 2015. "Institutional stickiness and the New Development Economics," Chapters, in: Laura E. Grube & Virgil Henry Storr (ed.), Culture and Economic Action, chapter 6, pages 123-146, Edward Elgar Publishing.
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    Cited by:

    1. Graziella Bertocchi & Arcangelo Dimico, 2017. "De jure and de facto determinants of power: evidence from Mississippi," Constitutional Political Economy, Springer, vol. 28(4), pages 321-345, December.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Reconstruction Era; Race riots; Rule reform; Rule stickiness; Memphis riot of 1866; D74; B52; N41;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D74 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Conflict; Conflict Resolution; Alliances; Revolutions
    • B52 - Schools of Economic Thought and Methodology - - Current Heterodox Approaches - - - Historical; Institutional; Evolutionary; Modern Monetary Theory;
    • N41 - Economic History - - Government, War, Law, International Relations, and Regulation - - - U.S.; Canada: Pre-1913

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