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The Poor, the Rich and the Enforcer: Institutional Choice and Growth

Author

Listed:
  • Erwan Quintin

    (Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas)

  • Cyril Monnet

    (Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia)

  • Thorsten Koeppl

    (Queen's University)

Abstract

We study economies where improving the quality of institutions -- modelled as improving contract enforcement -- requires resources, but enables trade that raises output by reducing the dispersion of marginal products of capital. We find that in this type of environment it is optimal to combine institutional building with endowment redistribution, and that more ex-ante dispersion in marginal products increases the incentives to invest in enforcement. In addition, we show that institutional investments lead over time to a progressive reduction in inequality. Finally, the framework we describe enables us to formalize the hypothesis formulated by Engerman and Sokoloff (2002) that the initial concentration of human and physical capital can explain the divergence of different countries' institutional history.

Suggested Citation

  • Erwan Quintin & Cyril Monnet & Thorsten Koeppl, 2008. "The Poor, the Rich and the Enforcer: Institutional Choice and Growth," 2008 Meeting Papers 281, Society for Economic Dynamics.
    • Handle: RePEc:red:sed008:281
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • D31 - Microeconomics - - Distribution - - - Personal Income and Wealth Distribution
    • D52 - Microeconomics - - General Equilibrium and Disequilibrium - - - Incomplete Markets
    • O11 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Macroeconomic Analyses of Economic Development
    • O43 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity - - - Institutions and Growth

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