Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/46397 
Year of Publication: 
2011
Series/Report no.: 
CESifo Working Paper No. 3489
Publisher: 
Center for Economic Studies and ifo Institute (CESifo), Munich
Abstract: 
We analyze the relationship between legal institutions, innovation and growth. We compare a rigid (law set ex-ante) legal system and a flexible one (law set after observing current technology). The flexible system dominates in terms of welfare, amount of innovation and output growth at intermediate stages of technological development - periods when legal change is needed. The rigid system is preferable at early stages of technological development, when (lack of) commitment problems are severe. For mature technologies the two legal systems are equivalent. We find that rigid legal systems may induce excessive (greater than first-best) R&D investment and output growth.
Subjects: 
legal system
commitment
flexibility
innovation
growth
JEL: 
O30
O43
L51
E61
Document Type: 
Working Paper
Appears in Collections:

Files in This Item:
File
Size
507.95 kB





Items in EconStor are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.