IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/empeco/v66y2024i2d10.1007_s00181-023-02466-y.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Expropriation, money, and happiness: the impact of state theft in Russia

Author

Listed:
  • Steven B. Caudill

    (Florida Atlantic University)

  • João Ricardo Faria

    (Florida Atlantic University)

  • Franklin G. Mixon

    (Columbus State University)

  • Elliott H. Young

    (Smith & Nephew)

Abstract

The historically high prevalence of property extraction in transition nations provides a unique opportunity to explore the intersection of institutional economics and the economics of happiness. This study examines how instances of prior property confiscation affect the self-reported quality of life following political-economic transition in Russia during the early 1990s. Using retrospective data from the Social Stratification in Eastern Europe after 1989 project, we estimate both traditional ordered logit models and random-effects ordered logit models, the latter of which addresses clustering of respondents by region of the country. Our results indicate that prior property confiscation experiences lead to a gap between the probabilities of realizing the extreme values of life satisfaction of 21.1–26.5%-points, with prior property confiscation experiences decreasing (increasing) the probability of greater (lesser) life satisfaction.

Suggested Citation

  • Steven B. Caudill & João Ricardo Faria & Franklin G. Mixon & Elliott H. Young, 2024. "Expropriation, money, and happiness: the impact of state theft in Russia," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 66(2), pages 483-501, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:empeco:v:66:y:2024:i:2:d:10.1007_s00181-023-02466-y
    DOI: 10.1007/s00181-023-02466-y
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s00181-023-02466-y
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s00181-023-02466-y?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. repec:bla:etrans:v:15:y:2007:i::p:707-731 is not listed on IDEAS
    2. Alin I. Florea & Steven B. Caudill, 2014. "Happiness, religion and economic transition," The Economics of Transition, The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, vol. 22(1), pages 1-12, January.
    3. Felix R. FitzRoy & Michael A. Nolan, 2020. "Education, income and happiness: panel evidence for the UK," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 58(5), pages 2573-2592, May.
    4. Nikolaev, Boris & Bennett, Daniel L., 2017. "Economic Freedom and Emotional Well-Being," Journal of Regional Analysis and Policy, Mid-Continent Regional Science Association, vol. 47(01).
    5. Aimee Chin, 2005. "Long-Run Labor Market Effects of Japanese American Internment during World War II on Working-Age Male Internees," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 23(3), pages 491-526, July.
    6. David G. Blanchflower & Andrew J. Oswald, 2005. "Happiness and the Human Development Index: The Paradox of Australia," NBER Working Papers 11416, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    7. Daniel L. Bennett & Boris Nikolaev, 2017. "Economic Freedom & Happiness Inequality: Friends Or Foes?," Contemporary Economic Policy, Western Economic Association International, vol. 35(2), pages 373-391, April.
    8. Ceema Namazie & Peter Sanfey, 2001. "Happiness and Transition: the Case of Kyrgyzstan," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 5(3), pages 392-405, October.
    9. Ovaska, Tomi & Takashima, Ryo, 2006. "Economic policy and the level of self-perceived well-being: An international comparison," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 35(2), pages 308-325, April.
    10. Lelkes, Orsolya, 2006. "Tasting freedom: Happiness, religion and economic transition," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 59(2), pages 173-194, February.
    11. Robert A. Lawson, 2008. "On the Methodology of the Economic Freedom of the World Index," Palgrave Macmillan Books, in: King Banaian & Bryan Roberts (ed.), The Design and Use of Political Economy Indicators, chapter 0, pages 171-185, Palgrave Macmillan.
    12. Peter Sanfey & Utku Teksoz, 2007. "Does transition make you happy?1," The Economics of Transition, The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, vol. 15(4), pages 707-731, October.
    13. Grier, Kevin B. & Tullock, Gordon, 1989. "An empirical analysis of cross-national economic growth, 1951-1980," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 24(2), pages 259-276, September.
    14. David G. Blanchflower & Richard B. Freeman, 1997. "The Attitudinal Legacy of Communist Labor Relations," ILR Review, Cornell University, ILR School, vol. 50(3), pages 438-459, April.
    15. Daniel M. Gropper, Robert A. Lawson, and Jere T. Thorne Jr., 2011. "Economic Freedom and Happiness," Cato Journal, Cato Journal, Cato Institute, vol. 31(2), pages 237-255, Spring/Su.
    16. Saavedra, Martin, 2015. "School quality and educational attainment: Japanese American internment as a natural experiment," Explorations in Economic History, Elsevier, vol. 57(C), pages 59-78.
    17. repec:bla:ausecr:v:38:y:2005:i:3:p:307-318 is not listed on IDEAS
    18. Roemer, John E., 2015. "Kantian optimization: A microfoundation for cooperation," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 127(C), pages 45-57.
    19. Kalyuzhnova, Yelena & Kambhampati, Uma, 2008. "The determinants of individual happiness in Kazakhstan," Economic Systems, Elsevier, vol. 32(3), pages 285-299, September.
    20. Tsui, Hsiao-Chien, 2014. "What affects happiness: Absolute income, relative income or expected income?," Journal of Policy Modeling, Elsevier, vol. 36(6), pages 994-1007.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Popova, Olga, 2014. "Can religion insure against aggregate shocks to happiness? The case of transition countries," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 42(3), pages 804-818.
    2. Selezneva, Ekaterina, 2011. "Surveying transitional experience and subjective well-being: Income, work, family," Economic Systems, Elsevier, vol. 35(2), pages 139-157, June.
    3. Olalekan Charles Okunlola & Anthony E. Akinlo, 2021. "Does economic freedom enhance quality of life in Africa?," International Review of Economics, Springer;Happiness Economics and Interpersonal Relations (HEIRS), vol. 68(3), pages 357-387, September.
    4. Litchfield, Julie & Reilly, Barry & Veneziani, Mario, 2012. "An analysis of life satisfaction in Albania: An heteroscedastic ordered probit model approach," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 81(3), pages 731-741.
    5. Shao-Hsun Keng & Shin-Yi Wu, 2014. "Living Happily Ever After? The Effect of Taiwan’s National Health Insurance on the Happiness of the Elderly," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 15(4), pages 783-808, August.
    6. Lelkes, Orsolya, 2003. "A pénz boldogít? A jövedelem és hasznosság kapcsolatának empirikus elemzése [Can money buy happiness? An empirical analysis of the relation between income and utility]," Közgazdasági Szemle (Economic Review - monthly of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences), Közgazdasági Szemle Alapítvány (Economic Review Foundation), vol. 0(5), pages 383-405.
    7. Hayo, Bernd, 2007. "Happiness in transition: An empirical study on Eastern Europe," Economic Systems, Elsevier, vol. 31(2), pages 204-221, June.
    8. Johan Graafland, 2020. "When Does Economic Freedom Promote Well Being? On the Moderating Role of Long-Term Orientation," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 149(1), pages 127-153, May.
    9. Hannah C. Silver & Steven B. Caudill & Franklin G. Mixon Jr., 2017. "Human capital and life satisfaction in economic transition," The Economics of Transition, The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, vol. 25(2), pages 165-184, April.
    10. Christian-Lambert Nguena & Honoré Tekam & Borice Augustin Ngounou & Sostella Arida TchoualaFeutsa, 2024. "Building Joyful cities: is urbanization always pave a path to happiness in Africa?," International Review of Economics, Springer;Happiness Economics and Interpersonal Relations (HEIRS), vol. 71(4), pages 847-874, December.
    11. Alin I. Florea & Steven B. Caudill, 2014. "Happiness, religion and economic transition," The Economics of Transition, The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, vol. 22(1), pages 1-12, January.
    12. Pål E. Martinussen & Geir H. Hilland, 2025. "Mo Money Mo Problems? Economic Freedom and Subjective Happiness in Europe, 2010–2020," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 26(3), pages 1-20, March.
    13. Chan, Jeff, 2023. "Forced displacement and migrants' location choices: Evidence from the Japanese-Canadian experience during World War II," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 211(C), pages 206-240.
    14. repec:jpe:journl:1628 is not listed on IDEAS
    15. DavidG. Blanchflower & Chris Shadforth, 2009. "Fear, Unemployment and Migration," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 119(535), pages 136-182, February.
    16. Gehring, Kai, 2013. "Who Benefits from Economic Freedom? Unraveling the Effect of Economic Freedom on Subjective Well-Being," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 50(C), pages 74-90.
    17. Cristina Bernini & Alessandro Tampieri, 2022. "The Mediating Role of Urbanization on the Composition of Happiness," Papers in Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 101(3), pages 639-657, June.
    18. Danish Ahmed Siddiqui & Qazi Masood Ahmed, 2019. "Does Institutions Effect Growth in Pakistan? An Empirical investigation," Journal of Asian Development, Macrothink Institute, vol. 5(2), pages 1-24, April.
    19. Brück, Tilman & Esenaliev, Damir & Kroeger, Antje & Kudebayeva, Alma & Mirkasimov, Bakhrom & Steiner, Susan, 2014. "Household survey data for research on well-being and behavior in Central Asia," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 42(3), pages 819-835.
    20. Lelkes, Orsolya, 2006. "Knowing what is good for you: Empirical analysis of personal preferences and the "objective good"," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 35(2), pages 285-307, April.
    21. Chong Ho Yu & Danielle Reimer & Anna Lee & Jean-Paul Snijder & Hyun Seo Lee, 2017. "A Triangulated and Exploratory Study of the Relationships Between Secularization, Religiosity, and Social Wellbeing," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 131(3), pages 1103-1119, April.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Happiness; Life satisfaction; Property rights; Confiscation; Expropriation;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D1 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior
    • P2 - Political Economy and Comparative Economic Systems - - Socialist and Transition Economies
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
    • P26 - Political Economy and Comparative Economic Systems - - Socialist and Transition Economies - - - Property Rights
    • P31 - Political Economy and Comparative Economic Systems - - Socialist Institutions and Their Transitions - - - Socialist Enterprises and Their Transitions
    • P36 - Political Economy and Comparative Economic Systems - - Socialist Institutions and Their Transitions - - - Consumer Economics; Health; Education and Training; Welfare, Income, Wealth, and Poverty
    • Z12 - Other Special Topics - - Cultural Economics - - - Religion
    • Z13 - Other Special Topics - - Cultural Economics - - - Economic Sociology; Economic Anthropology; Language; Social and Economic Stratification

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:empeco:v:66:y:2024:i:2:d:10.1007_s00181-023-02466-y. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.