Social Organizations and Political Institutions: Why China and Europe Diverged

Mokyr, Joel; Tabellini, Guido

doi:10.2139/ssrn.4442438

SSRN Journal

2023

DOI: 10.2139/ssrn.4442438

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Social Organizations and Political Institutions: Why China and Europe Diverged

Joel Mokyr¹,

Guido Tabellini

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2023

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A Theory of Power Structure and Institutional Compatibility: China versus Europe Revisited

Jia,

Roland,

Xie

2023

Journal of the European Economic Association

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To better understand institutional differences across space and time, we propose a two-dimensional framework of the power structure among three players in society: the degree of absolute power of the Ruler over the Elites and the People, and the degree of asymmetry between the latter two in terms of their everyday rights and power. Within this framework, we show that a more absolutist Ruler prefers a more balanced Elite-People relationship. This theory helps in particular to reconcile views on the comparison between imperial China and premodern Europe that would seem contradictory in one-dimensional or two-estate frameworks: the Ruler’s absolute power was weaker in Europe, whereas the Elite-People relationship was more balanced in China. Our approach also helps more generally to interpret specific institutions and other variations in power structures.

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A Theory of Power Structure and Institutional Compatibility: China versus Europe Revisited

Jia,

Roland,

Xie

2023

Journal of the European Economic Association

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show abstract

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Social Organizations and Political Institutions: Why China and Europe Diverged

Cited by 1 publication

References 27 publications

A Theory of Power Structure and Institutional Compatibility: China versus Europe Revisited

A Theory of Power Structure and Institutional Compatibility: China versus Europe Revisited

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