Coordination without command: Stretching the scope of spontaneous order
| 详细信息 | 推荐本文 | |
- 作者：Peter T. Leeson
- 关键词：Anarchy ; Spontaneous order ; Gordon Tullock
- 刊名：Public Choice
- 出版时间：April, 2008
- 出版年：2008
- 期刊代码：57_00485829
- 类别：law
- 卷：135
- 期：1-2
- 页码：67-78
- 数据来源：sp
摘要
How far can we stretch the scope of spontaneous order? Gordon Tullock’s important work on the economics of non-human societies shows how these societies are able to coordinate without command despite features economists typically see as limiting the scope of spontaneous order. Using Tullock’s insights, I search for the “human ant nest”—spontaneous institutional arrangements that create human cooperation despite the presence of these obstacles. I find two significant examples of this, both in precolonial Africa. The first demonstrates the effectiveness of spontaneous order in the face of threats of violent theft. The second shows the effectiveness of spontaneous order in the face of social heterogeneity. These cases suggest a broader scope for spontaneous order than conventional wisdom permits.