Organizations, Civil Society, and the Roots of Development.

• Position: NBER Books

Organizations, Civil Society, and the Roots of Development Edited by Naomi R. Lamoreaux and John Joseph Wallis $130

Modern developed nations are rich and politically stable in part because their citizens are free to form organizations and have access to the relevant legal resources. Yet in spite of the advantages of open access to civil organizations, it is estimated that 80 percent of people live in countries that do not allow unfettered access. Why have some countries disallowed the formation of civic organizations as part of their economic and political systems?

The contributions to Organizations, Civil Society, and the Roots of Development seek to answer this question through an exploration of how developing nations throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, including the United States, United Kingdom, France, and Germany, made the transition to allowing their citizens the right to form organizations. The transition...