IAP 2001 Activity

Economic Development, Geography or Institutions? Daron Acemoglu Tue Jan 30, 01-02:30pm, E51-372 No enrollment limit, no advance sign up Single session event Prereq: None This talk will argue that the history of European Colonization has a first-order effect on comparative development. Europeans adopted very different colonization policies in different colonies, with different associated institutions. The choice of colonization strategy was, at least in part, determined by whether Europeans could settle in the colony. In places where Europeans faced high mortality rates, they could not settle, and they were more likely to set up worse (extractive) institutions. These early institutions have persisted to the present. The talk will document evidence supporting these hypotheses. It will also show that, once these links are taken into account, countries in Africa or those closer to the equator do not have lower incomes. Web: http://web.mit.edu/economics/www Contact: Lauren Fahey, E52-380, x3-4669, lola@mit.edu Sponsor: Economics Latest update: 04-Nov-2000

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Listing generated: 31-Jan-2001