Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/68213 
Authors: 
Year of Publication: 
2012
Series/Report no.: 
CESifo Working Paper No. 4015
Publisher: 
Center for Economic Studies and ifo Institute (CESifo), Munich
Abstract: 
This paper shows that Tabellini's recent claim to have provided evidence that culture has a causal effect on economic development is unjustified. Tabellini's claim is based on an instrumental variables analysis in which two instruments are used to identify the supposed causal effect. One of these - past literacy - is an invalid instrument. The other - past political institutions - is a weak instrument. The estimates obtained using this second instrument are so imprecise that they cannot be used to support any conclusions about the effect of culture on economic development.
Subjects: 
culture
economic development
instrumental variables
weak instruments
JEL: 
C26
O40
O43
P10
Document Type: 
Working Paper
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