Working Paper: NBER ID: w8627
Authors: Dora L. Costa; Matthew E. Kahn
Abstract: What motivated men to risk death in the most horrific war in U.S. history when pay was low and irregular and military punishment strategies were weak? In such a situation creating group loyalty by promoting social capital is of paramount importance and in the Civil War was the cement of both armies. We find that individual and company socio-economic and demographic characteristics, ideology, and morale were important predictors of group loyalty in the Union Army. Company characteristics were more important than ideology or morale. Soldiers in companies that were more homogeneous in ethnicity, occupation, and age were less likely to shirk.
Keywords: No keywords provided
JEL Codes: L39; Z13; N31
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| individual and company socioeconomic and demographic characteristics (J21) | group loyalty (D71) |
| ideology (P16) | group loyalty (D71) |
| morale (I31) | group loyalty (D71) |
| company characteristics (L20) | group loyalty (D71) |
| soldiers' commitment to the cause (H56) | group loyalty (D71) |
| perceptions of the war's progress (H56) | soldiers' commitment to the cause (H56) |
| leadership and battlefield success (H56) | morale (I31) |
| time served (K40) | soldiers' commitment to the cause (H56) |
| decrease in cowardice hazards (H56) | soldiers' commitment to the cause (H56) |
| increase in heroism hazards (H84) | soldiers' commitment to the cause (H56) |