òòò½Íø Review
ISSN 0002-8282 (Print) | ISSN 1944-7981 (Online)
The Agricultural Origins of Time Preference
òòò½Íø Review
vol. 106,
no. 10, October 2016
(pp. 3064–3103)
Abstract
This research explores the origins of observed differences in time preference across countries and regions. Exploiting a natural experiment associated with the expansion of suitable crops for cultivation in the course of the Columbian Exchange, the research establishes that pre-industrial agro-climatic characteristics which were conducive to higher return to agricultural investment triggered selection, adaptation, and learning processes that generated a persistent positive effect on the prevalence of long-term orientation in the contemporary era. Furthermore, the research establishes that these agro-climatic characteristics have had a culturally embodied impact on economic behavior such as technological adoption, education, saving, and smoking.Citation
Galor, Oded, and Ömer Özak. 2016. "The Agricultural Origins of Time Preference." òòò½Íø Review 106 (10): 3064–3103. DOI: 10.1257/aer.20150020Additional Materials
JEL Classification
- D72 Political Processes: Rent-Seeking, Lobbying, Elections, Legislatures, and Voting Behavior
- G21 Banks; Depository Institutions; Micro Finance Institutions; Mortgages
- G28 Financial Institutions and Services: Government Policy and Regulation