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Institutionalism Ancient, Old and New: A Historical Perspective on Institutions and Uneven Development

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  • Erik S. Reinert

Abstract

This paper argues for an 'ancient' institutional school, predating Thorstein Veblen's 'old' institutionalism. In this view, going back as far as the thirteenth century, institutions tended to be seen as specific to a mode of production. Here both institutions and development itself are context-specific and activity-specific. Much clearer than today the arrows of causality of economic development go from the mode of production to the institutional setting, not vice versa.

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  • Erik S. Reinert, 2006. "Institutionalism Ancient, Old and New: A Historical Perspective on Institutions and Uneven Development," WIDER Working Paper Series RP2006-77, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    • Handle: RePEc:unu:wpaper:rp2006-77
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Michael Perelman, 2002. "Steal This Idea," Palgrave Macmillan Books, Palgrave Macmillan, number 978-1-137-07929-9, October.
    2. Erik Reinert & Arno Daastøl, 1997. "Exploring the Genesis of Economic Innovations: The Religious Gestalt-Switch and the Duty to Invent as Preconditions for Economic Growth," European Journal of Law and Economics, Springer, vol. 4(2), pages 233-283, May.
    3. Beghin, John C & Kherallah, Mylene, 1994. "Political Institutions and International Patterns of Agricultural Protection," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 76(3), pages 482-489, August.
    4. Erik S. Reinert (ed.), 2004. "Globalization, Economic Development and Inequality," Books, Edward Elgar Publishing, number 1570.
    5. Erik S. Reinert, 2006. "Development and Social Goals: Balancing Aid and Development to Prevent ‘Welfare Colonialism’," Working Papers 14, United Nations, Department of Economics and Social Affairs.
    6. Erik S. Reinert, 1999. "The role of the state in economic growth," Journal of Economic Studies, Emerald Group Publishing, vol. 26(4/5), pages 268-326, September.
    7. Arthur, W Brian, 1989. "Competing Technologies, Increasing Returns, and Lock-In by Historical Events," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 99(394), pages 116-131, March.
    8. Erik S. Reinert & Arno M. Daastøl, 2004. "The Other Canon: The History of Renaissance Economics," Chapters, in: Erik S. Reinert (ed.), Globalization, Economic Development and Inequality, chapter 1, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    9. Douglass C. North, 1991. "Institutions," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 5(1), pages 97-112, Winter.
    10. Ronald H. Coase, 2000. "The new institutional economics," Chapters, in: Claude Ménard (ed.), Institutions, Contracts and Organizations, chapter 1, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    11. Reinert, Erik S., 2004. "How rich nations got rich. Essays in the history of economic policy," MPRA Paper 48147, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    12. Erik S. Reinert, 2000. "Full circle: economics from scholasticism through innovation and back into mathematical scholasticism: Reflections on a 1769 Price essay: “Why is it that economics so far has gained so few advantages ," Journal of Economic Studies, Emerald Group Publishing, vol. 27(4/5), pages 364-376, September.
    13. Peter Evans, 2006. "Extending the 'Institutional' Turn: Property, Politics and Development Trajectories," WIDER Working Paper Series RP2006-113, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    14. Ha-Joon Chang, 2006. "Understanding the Relationship between Institutions and Economic Development: Some Key Theoretical Issues," WIDER Working Paper Series DP2006-05, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
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