Cognitive rules, institutions, and economic growth: Douglass North and beyond

• Published in: Journal of institutional economics Vol. 13; no. 1; pp. 25 - 52
• Main Authors: GREIF, AVNER, MOKYR, JOEL
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge, UK Cambridge University Press 01.03.2017
• Subjects: Cognition & reasoning; Decision making; Economic growth; Economic history; Economic theory; Incentives; Organizational change; Social life & customs; Society; Studies

Douglass North's writing on institutional change recognized from the very start that such change depends on cognition and beliefs. Yet, although he focused on individual beliefs, we argue in this paper that such beliefs are social constructs. We suggest that institutions – rules, expectations,...