Item request has been placed! ×
Item request cannot be made. ×
loading  Processing Request

Titles for me but not for thee: transitional gains trap of property rights extension in Colombia.

Item request has been placed! ×
Item request cannot be made. ×
loading   Processing Request
  • Author(s): Ferrell, Perry
  • Source:
    Public Choice. Jan2019, Vol. 178 Issue 1/2, p95-114. 20p. 7 Charts, 1 Graph.
  • Additional Information
    • Subject Terms:
    • Subject Terms:
    • Abstract:
      I apply Tullock's transitional gains trap to the formalization of property titles in Latin America to understand public choice problems in mending institutions. In an area where land is owned by formal and informal institutions, policies to extend property rights will not be supported by voters holding legal title because it will devalue their property. To test this I use data from Colombia where a peace deal to end a 50-year conflict with Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia rebels was reached in 2016 and put to a public referendum. The deal included formalization of property titles across the nation as well as an end to the conflict. Using municipal-level data on voting and property ownership and controlling for conflict history, I find potential losses to formal property holders pushed median voter preferences toward dissension. A 1% increase in legally titled land increases dissenting vote share by 3% points. These results are relevant to institutional reforms anywhere with corrupted property rights. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
    • Abstract:
      Copyright of Public Choice is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)