Gift economy. Gift economy - on Opentopia, find out more about Gift economy. Encyclopedia : G : GI : GIF : Gift economy A gift economy is an economic system in which the prevalent mode of exchange is for goods and services to be given without explicit agreement upon a quid pro quo , or the concept of "a favor for a favor" in the Latin language .
Typically, this occurs in a cultural context where there is an expectation either of reciprocation—in the form of goods or services of comparable value, or of political support, general loyalty, honor to the giver, etc. Gift Economy - Ethical Politics. From Ethical Politics In its simplest form, the gift economy is not hard to comprehend: it is an arrangement for the transfer of goods or services without an agreed method of quid pro quo. Indeed, there may be no expectation or mechanism of exchange whatsoever; hence, the "gift" aspect of the interaction.