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Political Institutions, Economic Liberty, and the Great Divergence

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  • Cox, Gary W.

Abstract

I argue that Europe's political fragmentation interacted with her political innovations—self-governing cities and national parliaments—to facilitate “economic liberty,†which in turn unleashed faster and more inter-connected urban growth. Examining urban growth over the period 600–1800 ce throughout Eurasia, I show that inter-city growth correlations were positive and significant only in Western Europe after 1200 ce. Within Western Europe, I show that growth correlations were greatest in the most fragmented and parliamentary areas, individual cities became significantly more tied to urban growth when their realms became parliamentary, and spillover effects (due to competition between rulers) were significant.

Suggested Citation

  • Cox, Gary W., 2017. "Political Institutions, Economic Liberty, and the Great Divergence," The Journal of Economic History, Cambridge University Press, vol. 77(3), pages 724-755, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:cup:jechis:v:77:y:2017:i:03:p:724-755_00
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    Cited by:

    1. Jiwei Qian & Tuan‐Hwee Sng, 2021. "The state in Chinese economic history," Australian Economic History Review, Economic History Society of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 61(3), pages 359-395, November.
    2. Koyama, Mark & Jedwab, Remi & Johnson, Noel, 2020. "Medieval Cities Through the Lens of Urban Economic Theories," CEPR Discussion Papers 14828, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    3. Mikołaj Malinowski, 2018. "Economic consequences of state failure; Legal capacity, regulatory activity, and market integration in Poland, 1505-1772," Working Papers 0143, European Historical Economics Society (EHES).
    4. Han Wang & Andres Rodriguez-Pose, 2021. "Local institutions and pandemics: City autonomy and the Black Death," Papers in Evolutionary Economic Geography (PEEG) 2130, Utrecht University, Department of Human Geography and Spatial Planning, Group Economic Geography, revised Sep 2021.
    5. Ennio E. Piano, 2019. "State capacity and public choice: a critical survey," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 178(1), pages 289-309, January.
    6. Philip T. Hoffman, 2020. "The Great Divergence: Why Britain Industrialised First," Australian Economic History Review, Economic History Society of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 60(2), pages 126-147, July.
    7. Michel Serafinelli & Guido Tabellini, 2022. "Creativity over time and space," Journal of Economic Growth, Springer, vol. 27(1), pages 1-43, March.
    8. Lisa Blaydes & Christopher Paik, 2021. "Trade and Political Fragmentation on the Silk Roads: The Economic Effects of Historical Exchange between China and the Muslim East," American Journal of Political Science, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 65(1), pages 115-132, January.
    9. Benjamin Schneider & Hillary Vipond, 2023. "The Past and Future of Work: How History Can Inform the Age of Automation," CESifo Working Paper Series 10766, CESifo.
    10. Li Zhao & Chu Yujing, 2020. "Endogenous Institutions and Economic Growth: Evidence from China," Financial Sciences. Nauki o Finansach, Sciendo, vol. 25(1), pages 54-77, March.
    11. Jedwab, Remi & Johnson, Noel D. & Koyama, Mark, 2022. "Medieval cities through the lens of urban economics," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 94(C).
    12. Schneider, Benjamin & Vipond, Hillary, 2023. "The past and future of work: how history can inform the age of automation," Economic History Working Papers 119282, London School of Economics and Political Science, Department of Economic History.
    13. Dincecco, Mark & Wang, Yuhua, 2018. "Internal Conflict, Elite Action, and State Failure: Evidence from China, 1000-1911," MPRA Paper 87777, University Library of Munich, Germany.

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