Missing Discussions: Institutional Constraints in the Islamic Political Tradition
Institutional constraints to prevent abuses of power have been considered essential in the West. An intellectual tradition emerged to justify them. We identify a puzzle: such an intellectual tradition did not exist in the Islamic world, despite the recognition of potential for abuse. We develop a model to explain this difference in normative traditions. Islamic law was more encompassing than divine law in the West, making it easier for citizens to identify and address abuses of power through collective action. Islamic tradition’s core assumptions made the collective action approach to accountability preferable to the institutional approach favored in the West.
Related
Programs
More from the NBER
In addition to working papers, the NBER disseminates affiliates’ latest findings through a range of free periodicals — the NBER Reporter, the NBER Digest, the Bulletin on Health, and the Bulletin on Entrepreneurship — as well as online conference reports, video lectures, and interviews.
