Friday 13 February 2009

Meddlesome anarchy

Eric Crampton, econ department, and Brad Taylor, grad student in pol sci, have a new paper out on Anarchy, Preferences, and Robust Political Economy. The abstract reads:
We consider the relative robustness of libertarian anarchy and liberal democracy to meddlesome preferences. Specifically, we examine how the liberty of those wishing to engage in externally harmless activities is affected by people who wish to prevent them from doing so. We show that intense, concentrated meddlesome preferences are more likely to produce illiberal law in anarchy; while weak, dispersed meddlesome preferences are more likely to do so in democracy. Using insights from the economics of religion, we argue that anarchy is more likely than democracy to produce small groups with intense meddlesome preferences. Absent government provision of public goods, voluntary groups will emerge to fill the gap. Strict religious groups - 'sects' - are more able to overcome collective action problems and will therefore be more prevalent in an anarchic society. These sects are apt to instil intense meddlesome preferences in their members and have the ability to enforce them: anarchy produces the situation to which it is most fragile. Our argument reveals unresolved questions in the conventional understanding of institutional robustness.
Now go and read it! There will be an exam 9am Monday.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed, but I found this line confusing:

...are more likely to produce illiberal law in anarchy

Law in anarchy? It's a new concept for me. Maybe I should read the paper...

Paul Walker said...

Matt: I see no reason not to have law under anarchy, its just that it's private rather than state law.

Anonymous said...

Matt: We're meaning law in the sense of rules that are actually enforced. In orderly anarchy you're going to some activities prevented by protection agencies or whatever. Bruce Benson is the go-to guy on this stuff.