Redistributional preferences and imposed institutions

Arbeitspapier

To what extent do imposed institutions shape preferences? We consider this issue by comparing the market-versus-state attitudes of respondents from a capitalist country, Finland, and an ex-communist group of Baltic countries, and by arguing that the period of communist rule can be viewed as an 'experiment' in institutional imposition. We find that, consistent with some earlier related work, citizens from ex-communist countries tend to be more supportive of state ownership than respondents from capitalist economies. However, they also favor increasing inequality and competition as the means to enhance incentives. We conclude that, in some important relevant dimensions, institutional imposition (which lasted for about 50 years) had a limited effect on preferences. The lessons for Latin America are straightforward.

Object Details

• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Series: Working Paper ; No. 579

Classification and Topics

• Classification: Wirtschaft ; Socialist Institutions and Their Transitions: General ; Comparative Analysis of Economic Systems ; Distribution: General ; Institutions: Design, Formation, Operations, and Impact ; General Welfare; Well-Being
• Subject: Institutions ; markets versus state ; redistributional preferences

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Geistige Schöpfung
• (who): Chong, Alberto ; Gradstein, Mark
• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (who): Inter-American Development Bank, Research Department
• (where): Washington, DC
• (when): 2006

Further information

• Handle: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/51518
• Last update: 13.12.20252026, 11:43 AM CET