Institutions and Italy

We started our J-term study away by introducing a few concepts via class discussion. One of these topics was institutions in an economic context.

In economics we define an institution as an informal or formal humanly devised constraint that dictates political, social and cultural norms. Institutions are often derived from governing parties or religious organizations. For example, Italy historically has been a primarily Catholic state, so we see many informal and formal norms borne from the Catholic institution. After spending a brief time in Venice we've seen a few differences in all the norms.

First off, Venice is a city on water; boats fill the canals that separate the streets - and streets are more like long twisting sidewalks. It is a city  that is very easy to get lost in; as we met and recollected our first nights' events, I think we all got a bit lost in it. There are not many cars in Venice, as opposed to what we are used to in the states. 

This difference can be attributed to the residents making due with the environment around them, but it is an institutional difference. 

Some other informal differences (taboos and customs) we see here; tipping is less common as the states, locals dress professionally and it's pretty easy to point out the tourists. 

Formal institutions, like laws and constitutions, that are different in Venice; There's not a catch-all police force, there are state and local police in addition to the Carabinieri, all of which uphold different responsibilities. Historically, Catholicism was the state religion until 1984, and the Vatican's influence reached into many different avenues of Italian life; holding some political power and maintaining itself as a cultural staple of the country.