The Narrow Corridor

In The Narrow Corridor, Daron Acemoglu and James A. Robinson scrutinize Francis Fukuyama’s notion of the End of History and build on Thomas Hobbes’ Leviathan to explain how politically engaged societies can “shackle” their bureaucratic governments. Because they are held accountable, such states ensure that liberty is maintained in society. Acemoglu and Robinson introduce the idea of a Narrow Corridor to illustrate the sweet spot where the power of the state—to resolve conflicts fairly, enforce complex laws, and provide public services—is balanced with the power of society to demonstrate and rise up if the state oversteps its bounds. Acknowledging that historically this balance has been difficult to maintain, the authors describe the endless race between the state and society as a “Red Queen Effect,” inspired by Alice’s race against the Red Queen in Through the Looking Glass where the contenders' running serves only to maintain their original position.

See here for a review of The Narrow Corridor by Avinash Dixit in the Journal of Economic Literature (Vol. 59 No. 4 December 2021). 

See here for another 1 paragraph summary of The Narrow Corridor by Jon Steinsson. (Ctrl+F, "Germanic").

Keywords: Cage of norms; despotic, absent, shackled, and paper leviathan

11/28/2019