Sticky persistence or fluid interactions? Exploring institutions “from below” and their long-term impacts on developmental outcomes in the Global South, 1800-2000

The role of institutions for development is one key issue in research. The predominant view explains current levels of development by looking at past institutions. However, this literature has focused mainly on elite institutions,

This project is unique as it assesses the role of non-elite institutions for development. The project aims to contribute to a revision of the theoretical propositions concerning the relationship between institutions and development.

The project examines several types of institutions “from below” in the cases of Trinidad and Mauritius. These are two former plantation societies able to achieve high levels of development by breaking away from the persistent effects of extractive institutions, and thus critical case studies for the role of institutions.