Abstract
Do empires affect attitudes towards the state long after their demise? We hypothesize that the Habsburg Empire with its localized and well-respected administration increased citizens’ trust in local public services. In several Eastern European countries, communities on both sides of the long-gone Habsburg border have been sharing common formal institutions for a century now. Identifying from individuals living within a restricted band around the former border, we find that historical Habsburg affiliation increases current trust and reduces corruption in courts and police. Falsification tests of spuriously moved borders, geographic and pre-existing differences, and interpersonal trust corroborate a genuine Habsburg effect.
Item Type: | Paper |
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Faculties: | Economics Economics > Chairs > CESifo-Professorship for Empirical Innovation Economics Economics > Chairs > Seminar for Comparative Economics |
Subjects: | 300 Social sciences > 330 Economics |
Language: | English |
Item ID: | 20141 |
Date Deposited: | 15. Apr 2014, 08:56 |
Last Modified: | 29. Apr 2016, 09:17 |