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Could Southern Italians Cooperate? Banche Popolari in the Mezzogiorno

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  • 'Hearn, Brian A

Abstract

Recent work by Robert Putnam has revived a contentious debate about the role of culture in Italian regional disparities. Southern Italy is argued to have been locked in an impoverishing, no-trust equilibrium. This article explores an apparent exception to Putnam's historical evidence: the South's late-nineteenth-century cooperative banks (banche popolari). Econometric investigation reveals important differences in the strategy and performance of these banks in North and South during the crucial decade of the 1890s, and shows that these differences cannot be attributed to differences in the local environment. In fact, the evidence is broadly consistent with Putnam's hypothesis.

Suggested Citation

  • 'Hearn, Brian A, 2000. "Could Southern Italians Cooperate? Banche Popolari in the Mezzogiorno," The Journal of Economic History, Cambridge University Press, vol. 60(1), pages 67-93, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:cup:jechis:v:60:y:2000:i:01:p:67-93_02
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    Cited by:

    1. Anna Missiaia, 2016. "Where do we go from here? Market access and regional development in Italy (1871–1911)," European Review of Economic History, European Historical Economics Society, vol. 20(2), pages 215-241.
    2. Giovanni Iuzzolino & Guido Pellegrini & Gianfranco Viesti, 2011. "Convergence among Italian Regions, 1861-2011," Quaderni di storia economica (Economic History Working Papers) 22, Bank of Italy, Economic Research and International Relations Area.
    3. Chiaruttini, Maria Stella, 2020. "Banking integration and (under)development: A quantitative reassessment of the Italian financial divide (1814-74)," IBF Paper Series 03-20, IBF – Institut für Bank- und Finanzgeschichte / Institute for Banking and Financial History, Frankfurt am Main.
    4. Emanuele Felice, 2010. "Regional inequalities in Italy in the long run (1891-2001): the pattern and some ideas to explain it," Department of Economics University of Siena 597, Department of Economics, University of Siena.
    5. Emanuele Felice, 2012. "Regional convergence in Italy, 1891–2001: testing human and social capital," Cliometrica, Journal of Historical Economics and Econometric History, Association Française de Cliométrie (AFC), vol. 6(3), pages 267-306, October.
    6. Hongbin Cai & Ginger Z. Jin & Chong Liu & Li-An Zhou, 2013. "More Trusting, Less Trust? An Investigation of Early E-Commerce in China," NBER Working Papers 18961, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    7. Emanuele Felice, 2011. "The determinants of Italy’s regional imbalances over the long run: exploring the contributions of human and social capital," Oxford University Economic and Social History Series _088, Economics Group, Nuffield College, University of Oxford.
    8. Adriano Giannola & Antonio Lopes & Alberto Zazzaro, 2013. "La convergenza dello sviluppo finanziario tra le regioni italiane dal 1890 ad oggi," Rivista di Politica Economica, SIPI Spa, issue 1, pages 145-197, January-M.
    9. Yamamura, Eiji, 2008. "The role of social capital in homogeneous society: Review of recent researches in Japan," MPRA Paper 11385, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    10. Emanuele Felice, 2011. "The determinants of Italy's regional imbalances over the long run: exploring the contributions of human and social capital," Oxford Economic and Social History Working Papers _088, University of Oxford, Department of Economics.
    11. Emanuele Felice, 2017. "The socio-institutional divide. Explaining Italy's regional inequality over the long run," Carlo Alberto Notebooks 503, Collegio Carlo Alberto.

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