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The Importance of History for Economic Development

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Nathan Nunn

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Abstract

This article provides a survey of a growing body of empirical evidence that points towards the important long-term effects that historic events can have on current economic development. The most recent studies, using micro-level data and more sophisticated identification techniques, have moved beyond testing whether history matters, and attempt to identify exactly why history matters. The most commonly examined channels include: institutions, culture, knowledge and technology, and movements between multiple equilibria. The article concludes with a discussion of the questions that remain and the direct of current research in the literature.

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Paper provided by National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc in its series NBER Working Papers with number 14899.

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Date of creation: Apr 2009
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Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:14899

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N0 - Economic History - - General
O0 - Economic Development, Technological Change, and Growth - - General

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(explanations, Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.)

  1. Motamed, Mesbah & Florax, Raymond J.G.M. & Masters, Will, 2009. "Geography and Economic Transition: Global Spatial Analysis at the Grid Cell Level," 2009 Annual Meeting, July 26-28, 2009, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 49589, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association. [Downloadable!]
  2. Naritomi, Joana & Soares, Rodrigo R. & Assunção, Juliano J., 2009. "Institutional Development and Colonial Heritage within Brazil," IZA Discussion Papers 4276, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
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