Pentecostalism as an informal political institution: experimental evidence from Ghana
Informal institutions continue to govern political exchange in Africa, but the traditional, ethnic-based form of “big man rule” is now threatened by an alternative informal institution — charismatic Pentecostalism. This study evaluates the status of Pentecostalism empirically, in a micro-level exper...
| Published in: | Politics and religion |
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| Main Author: | |
| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Cambridge Univ. Press
[2014]
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| In: |
Politics and religion
Year: 2014, Volume: 7, Issue: 4, Pages: 761-787 |
| Further subjects: | B
Einflussgröße
B Religion B Social network B Citizen B Governance B Game theory B Role B Political institution B Ethnicity B State B Political system B Pentecostal churches B Religious organization B Loyalty B Art informel B Meaning |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (Resolving-System) |
| Summary: | Informal institutions continue to govern political exchange in Africa, but the traditional, ethnic-based form of “big man rule” is now threatened by an alternative informal institution — charismatic Pentecostalism. This study evaluates the status of Pentecostalism empirically, in a micro-level experiment in Ghana. Using data from a variant of the dictator game, in which participants divide a resource endowment with randomly assigned partners as well as cultural leaders, the study provides evidence of Pentecostal exclusivity, excessive allegiance to leaders, and a shift away from ethnic-based patronage to Pentecostal patronage. As Pentecostalism continues to expand, these findings suggest a modification in the exchange of resources for loyalty in Africa, and grounds for viewing the movement as a new form of big man rule in the region. |
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| Item Description: | Tabellen, Anhang, Literaturhinweise Seite 783-784, Literaturverzeichnis Seite 784-787 |
| ISSN: | 1755-0491 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Politics and religion
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1017/S1755048314000480 |