This paper summarizes a talk Enrico Spolaore gave at the inaugural lecture of the VIVES centre. Key questions addressed are (1) what explains existing national borders and their changes? (stability of national borders). (2) Are national borders and their changes “optimal” or “suboptimal”? (efficiency of national borders) and (3) how are the “efficiency” and “stability” of borders related to economic and political variables such as international integration, inter-regional redistribution and decentralization and federalism.
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Paper provided by Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Faculteit Economie en Bedrijfswetenschappen, Vives in its series Vives discussion paper series with number
1.