Property Rights and Social Institutions in Urban Africa: Experimental Evidence From a Land Formalization Program in the DRC

Pablo Balán, Augustin Bergeron, Gabriel Tourek, Jonathan L. Weigel, School of Political Science, and International Affairs, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv-Yafo, Department of Economics, Harvard University, Department of Economics, University of California, Haas School of Business, University of California Berkeley

Comparative Political Studies

Published online on July 20, 2026

Abstract

Comparative Political Studies, Ahead of Print.
Formal property rights to land remain rare in sub-Saharan Africa. We argue that social institutions shape citizens’ demand for land formalization. When offered the opportunity to formalize, citizens weigh the insurance and tenure-security benefits of ...