Questions indicated by Popkin (1979) as being answerable by political
economy and not by moral economy approaches.
Many of these are suitable for expert system treatment.
| How are norms derived? |
| Why do groups decide to adopt some sets of norms and reject others? |
| What is an enforceable norm? |
| When will norms be bent or broken? |
| What determines subsistence level? |
| How are village resources allocated? |
| How are competing claims of need assessed? |
| How do you determine if a good year + a bad year is worse than two average years? |
| How is work shared? |
| How is sloth distinguished from an act of fate? |
| How are responsibilities allocated:
village vs. family, friends, children, patrons? |
| How is work for others allocated? |
| How is 'ability to pay' determined? |
| How are 'need' and 'inability to pay' distinguished? |
| How is a 'needy' scale defined?
- young couple who cannot afford children - large family with sick child - poor person who cannot afford a wife - old person with irresponsible children - inefficient farmer whose crop fails due to negligence |
| How are gambles vs. risks evaluated? |