EMPIRICAL APPROACH TO THE COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF SOCIAL ORDERS

Abstract

This article presents the results of an empirical study of the characteristics of limited and open access social orders in terms of North, Wallis and Weingast. The first part of the paper identifies the main features of each type of social orders and provides a comparative analysis of them based on the doorstep conditions. Also, the connection between the theories of social orders and institutions according to Acemoglu and Robinson is considered and a brief overview of research developing the ideas of North, Wallis and Weingast is given. In the second part of the publication an empirical study of social orders is carried out through cluster analysis of international indices that are used as a proxy for the characteristics of social orders. As a result, the classification of countries is performed and those that meet the doorstep conditions for the transition to open access order are identified.