Working Paper: NBER ID: w23196
Authors: Jacob Moscona; Nathan Nunn; James A. Robinson
Abstract: We present evidence that the traditional structure of society is an important determinant of the scope of trust today. Within Africa, individuals belonging to ethnic groups that organized society using segmentary lineages exhibit a more limited scope of trust, measured by the gap between trust in relatives and trust in non-relatives. This trust gap arises because of lower levels of trust in non-relatives and not higher levels of trust in relatives. A causal interpretation of these correlations is supported by the fact that the effects are primarily found in rural areas where these forms of organization are still prevalent.
Keywords: trust; social capital; lineage organization; sub-Saharan Africa
JEL Codes: N00; O10; Z13
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| segmentary lineage organization (L22) | larger gap in trust levels (I24) |
| segmentary lineage organization (L22) | lower trust in nonrelatives (Z13) |
| segmentary lineage organization (L22) | unchanged trust in relatives (Z13) |
| segmentary lineage organization (L22) | decreased bridging social capital (Z13) |
| segmentary lineage organization (L22) | maintained bonding social capital (Z13) |
| reliance on family ties and lineage structures (Z13) | limits associational life (D71) |
| limits associational life (D71) | reduces trust in nonrelatives (Z13) |