Speaker: Professor Nuno Palma (University of Manchester)
Hosted by: University of Liverpool Management School's Economics Group
Open to: Management School PhD students and academic staff, with no sign up needed
Date: Wednesday 11 October 2023
Time: 14:00-15:00
Place: 126 Mount Pleasant, Liverpool L3 5SR - Lecture Theatre 113
Abstract
State legal and collective capacity contributed to economic development during the Industrial Revolution.
In England and Wales, the Monarchy and Parliament relied on local magistrates, known as Justices of the Peace (JPs), to enforce property rights and administer market regulation.
We document how JP duties evolved over time and how many JPs were appointed in each county. We find that counties with more JPs in 1700 experienced more population growth and economic development over the following 140 years.
Plausibly conditional exogenous variation in JPs, driven by politics, suggests this relationship is causal. Several mechanisms and channels are documented, indicating the wide breadth of JPs impact.
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