1. Comparative Economics in Historical Perspective: Presidential Address for the 2018 Association for Comparative Economic Studies Meetings
- Author
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Roland, Gerard
- Subjects
Ancient history -- Economic aspects ,Capitalism -- History ,Comparative economics -- Analysis ,Socialism -- History ,Resource allocation ,Socialists ,Economic systems ,Egyptian history, to 642 (Ancient period) ,Chinese history ,Business, general ,Business ,Economics - Abstract
This paper presents evidence showing that there have been since antiquity two opposed types of institutional systems: one resembling central planning and present in ancient China, ancient Egypt, the Inca Empire and other territorial states, and another one with strong market institutions, protection of property rights present mostly in city-states not just in the Mediterranean but throughout the world. A new database documenting these diverse institutional clusters from the antiquity is described and their links analyzed.Keywords Comparative economics * Comparative history * Institutions in ancient times * Culture * Individualism * CollectivismJEL Classification N00 * P40 * P50, IntroductionTraditionally, comparative economics is thought of mostly as a twentieth century subject founded to focus on the comparison between the capitalist and the socialist economic systems. The socialist system is [...]
- Published
- 2018
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