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A New Measure Of Foreign Rule Based On Genetic Distance

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  • Dhammika Dharmapala

Abstract

This paper constructs a novel measure of past foreign (or minority) rule—the genetic distance of a country's ruling elite in the year 1900 from its ethnic majority—by mapping historical information to data on bilateral genetic distances between populations. It documents robust negative conditional correlations of this “elite‐population genetic distance” with current income levels and with current fiscal capacity, controlling for an extensive set of country characteristics including existing measures of foreign rule, the genetic distance of the ethnic majority from that of the United Kingdom, continent fixed effects, and state antiquity (i.e., the history of state‐building capacity). (JEL O10, N40, H20)

Suggested Citation

  • Dhammika Dharmapala, 2021. "A New Measure Of Foreign Rule Based On Genetic Distance," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 59(2), pages 622-647, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:ecinqu:v:59:y:2021:i:2:p:622-647
    DOI: 10.1111/ecin.12959
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    Cited by:

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    2. Goel, Rajeev K. & Saunoris, James W., 2022. "Corrupt thy neighbor? New evidence of corruption contagion from bordering nations," Journal of Policy Modeling, Elsevier, vol. 44(3), pages 635-652.
    3. Dhammika Dharmapala, 2023. "Overview of the Characteristics of Tax Haven," CESifo Working Paper Series 10411, CESifo.
    4. Rajeev K. Goel & Michael A. Nelson, 2023. "Which political regimes foster entrepreneurship? An international examination," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 48(1), pages 126-146, February.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • O10 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - General
    • H20 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - General

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