Trust and the Islamic Advantage

In Much Of The Muslim World Islamic Political And Economic Movements Appear To Have A Comparative Advantage. Relative To Similar Secular Groups They Are Better Able To Mobilize Supporters And Sustain Their Cooperation Long-Term. Nowhere Is This More Apparent Than In Turkey A Historically Secular Country That Has Experienced A Sharp Rise In Islamic-Based Political And Economic Activity. Drawing On Rich Data Sources And Econometric Methods Avital Livny Challenges Existing Explanations - Such As Personal Faith - For The Success Of These Movements. Instead Livny Shows That The Islamic Advantage Is Rooted In Feelings Of Trust Among Individuals With A Shared Religious Group-Identity. This Group-Based Trust Serves As An Effective Substitute For More Generalized Feelings Of Interpersonal Trust Which Are Largely Absent In Many Muslim-Plurality Countries. The Book Presents A New Argument For Conceptualizing Religion As Both A Personal Belief System And Collective Identity.