Economic Development in the Americas since 1500: Endowments and Institutions (Nber Series on Long-term Factors in Economic Development)

Description

This book brings together a number of previously published articles by Stanley L. Engerman and Kenneth L. Sokoloff. Its essays deal with differences in the rates of economic growth in Latin American and mainland North America, specifically the United States and Canada. It demonstrates how relative differences in growth over time are related to differences in the institutions that developed in different economies. This variation is driven by differences in major institutions – suffrage, education, tax policy, land and immigration policy, and banking and financial organizations. These factors, in turn, are all related to differences in endowments, climate, and natural resources. Providing a comprehensive treatment of its topic, the essays have been revised to reflect new developments and research. Review: great book - The authors are surprisingly knowledgeable. I am not a student of economic history. In fact, my formal training in history ends with my 9th grade. Yet this book is really interesting and stimulating. I recommend this book to anyone interested in the American economic history, as well as those who are from emerging markets and just curious about what policy options are there for their countries.