Kin-based institutions and state capacity

European Journal of Political Economy • Vol/Iss. 88 • Elsevier • • Published In • Pages: 1-22 •
By Ezcurra, Roberto

Abstract

This study investigates the relationship between the strength of historic kin-based interaction networks in a region, and the strength of modern state capacity in that region. The author compares two metrics, across a global sample: firstly, the Kinship Intensity Index (KII), which is calculated by region using five variables from the Ethnographic Atlas (societies are combined by region by weighting each EA society using its population size); and secondly, the State Capacity Index (SCI), which measures the functionality of modern-day nation-states. It is found that around the world, countries whose borders have historically been home to societies with strong kin-based interaction networks tend to have a significantly weaker state capacity.

Samples

Sample Used Coded Data Comment
Ethnographic Atlas (EA)Other Researchers'Author uses the Kinship Intensity Index, originally synthesized by Schulz et al. (2019) using 5 variables from the Ethnographic Atlas (cousin marriage, polygamy, co-residence of extended families, lineage organization and community organization)
State Capacity IndexOther Researchers'Author uses the State Capacity Index calculated by Hanson and Sigman (2021) to assess the functionality of modern-day nation-states

Hypotheses (1)

HypothesisSupported
Countries in places where societies have historically had strong kinship interaction networks generally tend to have weaker state capacity in the twenty-first century.Supported
Documents and Hypotheses Filed By: seb.wanggaouette