Working Paper: CEPR ID: DP17572
Authors: Sara Lowes
Abstract: Culture – the set of socially transmitted values and beliefs held by individuals – has important implications for a wide variety of economic outcomes. Both the causes and consequences of culture have been the subject of work in Historical Political Economy. I first outline several theories on the origins, evolution, and transmission of culture. I then discuss various strategies for measuring culture. Finally, I review recent research in HPE that explores the origins of variation in culture and the economic consequences of culture.
Keywords: Culture; Historical Political Economy; Evolution
JEL Codes: N01; Z1; P0; P50
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| Cultural beliefs (Z10) | Economic development (O29) |
| Cultural beliefs (Z10) | Trust (G21) |
| Cultural beliefs (Z10) | Cooperation (C71) |
| Historical experiences (N30) | Social trust (Z13) |
| Exposure to slave trades (J47) | Trust in Sub-Saharan Africa (O55) |
| Cultural traits (Z13) | Economic behavior (D22) |
| Cultural traits (Z13) | Economic preferences (D11) |
| Historical cultural traits (Z13) | Contemporary economic outcomes (P17) |