The local variability of rainfall and tribal institutions: the case of Sudan

Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization • Vol/Iss. 39(1999) • Elsevier • • Published In • Pages: 263-291 •
By Nugent, Jeffrey B., Sanchez, Nicholas

Abstract

This paper poses and tests relationships between local spatial variability of rainfall and property rights, as well as the degree of hierarchy, across 41 different tribal societies in Sudan. The authors find that there is a significant negative relationship between rainfall variability and degree of hierarchy. They also find that in the presence of local rainfall variability in Sudan, members of a tribe are more likely to establish common property institutions that allow access to all members.

Samples

Sample Used Coded Data Comment
Researcher's ownVarious ethnographies, rainfall data from climatic research unit, University of East Anglia41 tribes in Sudan (institution data), rainfall data

Hypotheses (2)

HypothesisSupported
Tribal societies in Sudan that experience more local spatial rainfall variability will be more likely to establish more common property rights.Supported
Tribal societies in Sudan that experience more local spatial rainfall variability will be less likely to have centralized hierarchical institutions.Mostly Supported
Documents and Hypotheses Filed By:  Benjamin.gonzalez