916 B
916 B
Original Government Manners
Definition
The social customs and governmental structures that existed in European states at their founding and persisted even after significant governmental changes, forcing societies into unnatural economic development patterns. These enduring characteristics created institutional barriers to the natural progression of economic development from agriculture through manufacturing to foreign trade.
Source Chapter
Book III, Chapter 1
Context
Smith attributes part of the European economic development inversion to these persistent governmental and social characteristics, explaining how historical institutions can shape long-term economic trajectories in ways that depart from natural development patterns.
Economic Domain
Regulation