Author Abstract
We examine the impact of historical land tenure systems on long-term development outcomes in India. We find that areas in which proprietary rights in land were historically given to landlords have lower levels of public goods such as schools and roads in the post-colonial period than areas in which these rights were given to the cultivators. We examine the role of economic inequality and political capture in explaining these outcomes. We find no significant differences in measures of economic inequality or political competition across these types of areas. While political participation is lower in landlord areas, the difference is not sufficient to explain the differences in public goods provision.
Paper Information
- Full Working Paper Text
- Working Paper Publication Date: February 2008
- HBS Working Paper Number: 08-062
- Faculty Unit(s): Business, Government and International Economy