solutions to CPR problems + social capital Flashcards
elinor ostrom’s solution to CPR problem
many solutions instead of one
- institutions that are a mixture of private and public
- communal or grassroots solutions
self-enforced institutional arrangement
a set of rules that are designed to be rational for most people to follow, given that others are also following them
internal factors of self-enforced institutional arrangement (3)
- communication, trust (social capital)
- similar interests, common fate
- not too much heterogeneity
external factors of self-enforced institutional arrangement (2)
- autonomy to change institutions vs. constrained by external authorities
- enough time to adjust their internal structure
drawback of self-enforced institutional arrangement (2)
- individual weaknesses (perception of CPR)
- inequal settings (monitoring system fails)
elinor ostrom’s conditions for self-enforced institutional arrangement (4)
- involving small-scale CPRs
- the CPRs are entirely located within one country or community
- the number of individuals affected varies from 50 - 15,000
- individuals are heavily dependent on the CPR for economic returns (motivation)
what kind of CPR problems have no good rational choice theories? (3)
- non-renewable resources
- cross/multi-national resources
- CPR’s w/ negative externalities
social capital (Robert Putnam)
quality that can be a facilitator of interpersonal cooperation
OR
features of social organizations, such as networks, norms and trust that facilitate action and cooperation for mutual benefit
explain the political quasi-experiment in Robert Putnam’s Making Democracy Work
1970 → regional governments were set up in both the North and the South
research question for MDW
what explains the economic, political, social chasm between the north vs. south of italy?20 year outcome of MDW experiment
20 year outcome of MDW experiment
- north: relatively efficient and responsive governments
- south: inefficient, vote-buying & more corrupt governments
Putnam’s argument for divergence in outcomes
the same new institutions had emerged in different SOCIAL CONTEXTS with differences in SOCIAL CAPITAL
social context of the NORTH (5)
- dense network of local associations
- active engagement in community affairs
- egalitarian & democratic patterns of politics
- trust
- law-abidingness
social context of the SOUTH (4)
- mutual suspicion & corruption
- little civic involvement
- lawlessness expected
- patronage & clientelism in politics
components of social capital (8)
- networks bonding/bridging
- feelings of trust & safety
- reciprocity
- participation
- citizen power/proactivity
- values, norms, outlook in life
- cooperation
- sense of belonging
2 types of social capital
- bonding
- bridging
bonding social capital
groups, memberships or networks that create a collective of shared thought and like-mindedness
bridging social capital
connections that link people across a cleavage that typically divides society (such as race, or class, or religion)
forms of capital in an economy (3)
- physical capital
- human capital
- social capital
physical capital
material, tangible objects (machines)
human capital
the skills and knowledge acquired by an individua
social capital
social networks, relations among individuals
how did Putnam measure social capital
of members in different groups in civil society (bowling alone)
social cohesiveness
strength of connectedness and solidarity among groups in society
why does social cohesiveness vary?
some groups may require members to see each other every day (volunteer group); other groups only require members to pay fee (political group)
negative externality of group dynamics
lower degree of trust/cooperation with outsiders
how to induce cooperation within groups (4)
- repeated interactions
- credible commitments
- providing information about other individual’s preferences & utilities
- fluid communication
horizontal networks
networks involving agents of equivalent status & power
examples of horizontal networks
- neighborhood associations
- sports clubs
- cooperatives
- mutual aid societies
- cultural associations
- voluntary unions
- choral societies
vertical networks
networks that link unequal agents based on asymmetric & hierarchical relations; generate dependence/exploitation
examples of vertical networks
- mafia
- catholic church
path dependency
social science theory that the past influences future societal processes and outcomes
explain path dependence in context of social capital
produces persistent differences in performance between societies with similar resources, individual preferences and formal institution
path dependence in the north
political/institutional history since medieval times w/ republics, city-states, guilds, mutual aid societies, choral societies
path dependence in the south
large centralized, hierarchical (& foreign) kingdoms destroyed local social networks
Putnam’s argument for the role of institutional change
institutional history moves slowly
modern explanation for social capital in modern democracies declining since ww2
TV is negatively associated with social capital → people prefer to stay at home watching TV than participate in community
Olken’s quasi-experiment testing tv’s effect on social capital
study variation in topography (geographical differences determining access to tv) in indonesian mountainous villages
conclusion of Olken’s study
indonesian villages have very dense social networks → some support for Putnam
