We use variation in historical state centralization to examine the impact of institutions on
cultural norms. The Kuba Kingdom, established in Central Africa in the early 17th century by
King Shyaam, had more developed state institutions than the other independent villages and
chieftaincies in the region. It had an unwritten constitution, separation of political powers,
a judicial system with courts and juries, a police force and military, taxation, and signifi cant
public goods provision. Comparing individuals from the Kuba Kingdom to those from just
outside the Kingdom, we fi nd that centralized formal institutions are associated with weaker
norms of rule-following and a greater propensity to cheat for material gain.
