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The Diffusion of Development: Along Genetic or Geographic Lines?

Author

Listed:
  • Douglas L. Campbell

    (New Economic School (NES))

  • Ju Hyun Pyun

    (Korea University Business School)

Abstract

Why are some societies still poor? Recent research suggests that a country’s “genetic distance”—a measure of the time elapsed since two populations had common ancestry—from the United States is a significant predictor of development even after controlling for an ostensibly exhaustive list of geographic, historical, religious and linguistic variables. We find, by contrast, that the correlation of genetic distance from the US and GDP per capita disappears with the addition of controls for geography, including distance from the equator and a dummy for sub-Saharan Africa.

Suggested Citation

  • Douglas L. Campbell & Ju Hyun Pyun, 2014. "The Diffusion of Development: Along Genetic or Geographic Lines?," Working Papers w0211, New Economic School (NES).
    • Handle: RePEc:abo:neswpt:w0211
    as

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    File URL: https://www.nes.ru/files/Preprints-resh/WP211.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
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    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    Blog mentions

    As found by EconAcademics.org, the blog aggregator for Economics research:
    1. Ancestry and Development: the Power Pose of Economics?
      by Doug Campbell in Douglas L. Campbell on 2017-11-05 18:20:00

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    More about this item

    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • O10 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - General
    • O33 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Technological Change: Choices and Consequences; Diffusion Processes
    • O49 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity - - - Other

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