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Auriol, Emmanuelle
and Platteau, Jean-Philippe
(2017)
Religious Co-option in Autocracy: A Theory Inspired by History.
Journal of Development Economics, vol.127.
pp. 395-412.
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Abstract
The relationship between religion and politics is explored from a theoretical standpoint, assuming that religious clerics can be coopted by the ruler acting as an autocrat. The comparative effects of decentralized versus centralized religions on the optimal level of cooperation between the autocrat and the religious clerics, which itself impinges upon political stability, is analysed. The paper shows that the presence of a decentralized body of clerics makes autocratic regimes more unstable. It also shows that in time of stability, the level of reforms is larger with a centralized religion than with a decentralized one. When the autocrat in the decentralized case pushes more reforms than in the centralized one, he always does so at the cost of stability. Historical case studies are presented that serve to illustrate the main results.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Language: | English |
| Date: | July 2017 |
| Refereed: | Yes |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | Autocracy, instrumentalization of religion, centralized and decentralized religion, Islam, economic development, reforms |
| JEL Classification: | D02 - Institutions - Design, Formation, and Operations D72 - Economic Models of Political Processes - Rent-Seeking, Elections, Legislatures, and Voting Behavior N40 - General, International, or Comparative O57 - Comparative Studies of Countries P48 - Political Economy; Legal Institutions; Property Rights Z12 - Religion |
| Subjects: | B- ECONOMIE ET FINANCE |
| Divisions: | TSE-R (Toulouse) |
| Site: | UT1 |
| Date Deposited: | 04 Jan 2017 12:32 |
| Last Modified: | 02 Apr 2021 15:54 |
| OAI Identifier: | oai:tse-fr.eu:31298 |
| URI: | https://publications.ut-capitole.fr/id/eprint/22668 |
Available Versions of this Item
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Religious Co-option in Autocracy: A Theory Inspired by History. (deposited 04 Jan 2017 12:35)
- Religious Co-option in Autocracy: A Theory Inspired by History. (deposited 04 Jan 2017 12:32) [Currently Displayed]
