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From Rites to Rights: the Co-evolution of Political, Economic and Social Structures

Author

Listed:
  • Brooks Kaiser

    (Department of Economics, University of Hawaii at Manoa
    Department of Economics, Gettysburg College)

  • James Roumasset

    (Department of Economics, University of Hawaii at Manoa)

Abstract

It is the charge of economic history not only to explain the economic past, but to use it to enrich and develop economic theory (North, 1994). In paleoeconomics, theory plays the additional role of adding veracity of accounts based on sparse evidence through the demonstration of internal consistency. We synthesize pre-historical and historical evidence available from the settlement and modernization of the Hawaiian economy into a stylized picture of the co-evolution of production and governance structures called the governmental Kuznets curve. We explain the co-evolution with a theory of institutional change that includes the roles of resource scarcity and opportunities for internal and external economies of scale in the increasing intensification and specialization of production. These are facilitated first by a steeper and then by a flatter political organization.

Suggested Citation

  • Brooks Kaiser & James Roumasset, 2007. "From Rites to Rights: the Co-evolution of Political, Economic and Social Structures," Working Papers 200703, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:hai:wpaper:200703
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    File URL: http://www.economics.hawaii.edu/research/workingpapers/WP_07-3.pdf
    File Function: First version, 2007
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. North, Douglass C, 1994. "Economic Performance through Time," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 84(3), pages 359-368, June.
    2. John J. Wallis & Douglass North, 1986. "Measuring the Transaction Sector in the American Economy, 1870-1970," NBER Chapters, in: Long-Term Factors in American Economic Growth, pages 95-162, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    Cited by:

    1. Nagase, Yoko & Uehara, Takuro, 2011. "Evolution of population-resource dynamics models," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 72(C), pages 9-17.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Paleoeconomics; governance; institutional change; Hawaiian economy; intensification; specialization;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D02 - Microeconomics - - General - - - Institutions: Design, Formation, Operations, and Impact
    • N0 - Economic History - - General
    • O12 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Microeconomic Analyses of Economic Development
    • O43 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity - - - Institutions and Growth
    • Q2 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Renewable Resources and Conservation

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