The Economics and Management of Intellectual Property: Towards Intellectual Capitalism
Third, although Olson's model of the state as a criminal provides insights into theoretical aspects of predatory taxation and rent-creating regulation, a more balanced view of the state is required. In particular, the independent rule-making and rule-enforcing functions of government agencies have facilitated the industrialization of a number of countries and the adoption of a number of advanced technologies. Kleptocracies exist, as do criminal states. But there are also welfare states and states with effective government agencies. The whole idea is to encourage the evolution of the "development state," a state that can facilitate the achievement of social objectives. The idea is not to condemn the state in general and limit it to being a contract enforcer. Fourth, getting the histories right is very important. Much more is going on out there than is implied by the models of new institutionalism. According to Bardhan,