Amoral Familism, Social Capital, or Trust? The Behavioural Foundations of the Italian North-South Divide

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Bigoni, Maria; Bortolotti, Stefania; Casari, Marco; Gambetta, Diego; Pancotto, Francesca
• 署名单位: University of Bologna; University of Cologne; European University Institute; University of Oxford; Universita di Modena e Reggio Emilia
• 刊物名称: ECONOMIC JOURNAL
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0013-0133
• DOI: 10.1111/ecoj.12292
• 发表日期: 2016
• 页码: 1318-1341
• 关键词: cooperation; PUNISHMENT; RISK; COMPETITION; societies; fairness; betrayal

摘要

We present the first laboratory-in-the field experiment on the Italian North-South divide. Using a representative sample of the population, we measure whether regional disparities in ability to cooperate emerge even if differences in geography, institutions and criminal intrusion are silenced. We report that a behavioural gap in cooperation exists: Northern and Southern citizens react differently to the same incentives. Moreover, this gap cannot be accounted for by tolerance for risk, proxies of social capital and amoral familism'. At least a share of North-South disparities is likely to derive from persistent differences in social norms.