1. Unveiling the checkered fortunes of the Ottoman EmpireValentina Dimitrova-Grajzl, 2008, other component parts Abstract: The Ottoman Empire has been predominantly viewed as the ćSick Man of Europe.ć The question arises, however, how this perceived inefficiency can be reconciled with the long existence and prosperity of the Empire. I argue that the Ottoman system could have been efficient subject to constraints. More specifically, I explore the role of the technology of predation and the adherence to the law in determining relative changes in the social order and the power of the Sultan, which in turn led to the relative decline of the Empire. Keywords: Ottoman Empire, predation, social classes Published in RUP: 15.10.2013; Views: 3924; Downloads: 96 Link to full text |
2. The choice in the lawmaking processPeter Grajžl, Valentina Dimitrova-Grajzl, 2008, other component parts Abstract: We develop a model of lawmaking to study efficiency implications of, and variation in, jurisdictions' choices between promulgation of indigenously developed laws and legal transplants. Our framework emphasizes the sequential nature of lawmaking, the ubiquity of uncertainty, considerations about ex-antepromulgation versus ex-post adjustment costs, and the importance of the political context of legal reform. In discerning the patterns of in efficiencies in both transplantation and indigenous lawmaking, we elucidate the role of heterogeneity of interests and adaptability of a legal system. We also find that domestic corruption per se need not justify transplantation of foreign legal models. Our results support the view that local conditions are acrucial determinant of the appropriate path of legal reform. Keywords: lawmaking process, uncertainty, legal transplants, indigenous law, interest groups Published in RUP: 15.10.2013; Views: 3864; Downloads: 27 Link to full text |
3. The great divide revisitedValentina Dimitrova-Grajzl, 2007, original scientific article Abstract: The former socialist countries of South East and Central Europe exhibit great variation in institutional quality. Unlike the sparse existing literature, I claim that the variation can be explained by the legacies of the Ottoman and Habsburg Empires. I identify historical legacies of the Empires, which have affected the current institutional quality of the successor states. I show empirically that the Empires' legacies are key determinants of institutional quality, and that the Habsburg successors have institutions that are more efficient in a market economy than the Ottoman successors. In contrast, I findan insignificant effect of socialism on institutional quality. Keywords: transition, institutions, path dependence, Ottoman Empire, Habsburg Empire Published in RUP: 15.10.2013; Views: 3791; Downloads: 25 Link to full text |
4. The Ottoman economic legacy on the BalkansValentina Dimitrova-Grajzl, 2007, other component parts Abstract: When discussing South East Europe, the Ottoman Empire stands out in history asa prime candidate for an inquiry on historical path-dependence of institutions in the region. This paper analyzes the historical origins of the Ottoman legacy and identifies the legacy with particular pertinence to the economic performance of the South East European states. It distinguishes the legacy in relation to social values and beliefs as the one, which has had the most persistent and profound effect on the Ottoman successor states' paths of economic development. Keywords: institutions, path dependence, Ottoman Empire, economic legacy, development Published in RUP: 15.10.2013; Views: 3343; Downloads: 90 Link to full text |
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