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HISTORICAL TRADITIONS OF CIVICNESS AND LOCAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT *
Author(s) -
De Blasio Guido,
Nuzzo Giorgio
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
journal of regional science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.171
H-Index - 79
eISSN - 1467-9787
pISSN - 0022-4146
DOI - 10.1111/j.1467-9787.2009.00624.x
Subject(s) - reciprocity (cultural anthropology) , local government , social capital , local economic development , local community , entrepreneurship , productivity , capital (architecture) , test (biology) , economics , local development , economy , economic growth , economic geography , political science , sociology , geography , regional science , social science , paleontology , archaeology , public administration , finance , law , biology
ABSTRACT The paper investigates the importance of history for local economic performance in Italy by studying the role of social capital, which refers to trust, reciprocity and habits of co‐operation that are shared among members of a local community. The paper presents a test based on worker productivity, entrepreneurship, and female labor market participation. Using as instruments regional differences in civic involvement in the late 19th century and local systems of government in the middle ages, it shows that social capital does have economic effects.