Divided We Stand, United We Fall: The Hume-North-Jones Mechanism For The Rise Of Europe
Abstract
The "great divergence" between Europe and the rest of the world occurred relatively recently. What enabled Europe, with all its laggards, to dominate the previously successful Eastern economies? This article emphasizes one important mechanism, highlighting the contrast between the European states system and Eastern empires. Political competition for a mobile tax base in a states system forces rulers to provide relatively more secure property rights. By effectively limiting the "exit" options of the ruled, an empire rewards its ruler with a captive tax base that can be subjected to higher levels of expropriation. As a result, the states system encourages faster capital accumulation and growth. Copyright � 2008 the Economics Department of the University of Pennsylvania and the Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association.Download Info
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Bibliographic Info
Article provided by Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association in its journal International Economic Review.
Volume (Year): 49 (2008)
Issue (Month): 3 (08)
Pages: 973-997
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Citations
Blog mentions
As found by EconAcademics.org, the blog aggregator for Economics research:- The rise of Europe, the standstill of Asia
by Economic Logician in Economic Logic on 2008-08-22 11:18:00
Cited by:
- Chu, Angus C., 2008.
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8320, University Library of Munich, Germany.
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- Cem Karayalcin & Mehmet Ali Ulubasoglu, 2011. "Romes without Empires: Urban Concentration,Political Competition, and Economic Growth," Working Papers 1108, Florida International University, Department of Economics.
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