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The Diffusion of Development: Along Genetic or Geographic Lines?

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  • Campbell, Douglas L.
  • Pyun, Ju Hyun

Abstract

Why are some peoples still poor? Recent research suggests that a society’s “genetic distance”—a measure of the time elapsed since two populations had common ancestry—to 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

  • Campbell, Douglas L. & Pyun, Ju Hyun, 2014. "The Diffusion of Development: Along Genetic or Geographic Lines?," MPRA Paper 57933, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    • Handle: RePEc:pra:mprapa:57933
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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

    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Simplice A. Asongu & Oasis Kodila†Tedika, 2017. "Is Poverty in the African DNA (Gene)?," South African Journal of Economics, Economic Society of South Africa, vol. 85(4), pages 533-552, December.
    2. Oasis Kodila-Tedika & Simplice A. Asongu, 2016. "Genetic distance and cognitive human capital: a cross-national investigation," Journal of Bioeconomics, Springer, vol. 18(1), pages 33-51, April.
    3. Maria João Guedes & Nicos Nicolaou & Pankaj C. Patel, 2019. "Genetic distance and the difference in new firm entry between countries," Journal of Evolutionary Economics, Springer, vol. 29(3), pages 973-1016, July.
    4. Ideen A. Riahi, 2013. "Colonization and Genetics of Comparative Development," Discussion Papers dp13-11, Department of Economics, Simon Fraser University, revised 29 Oct 2013.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Genetics; Economic Development; Geography; Climatic Similarity;
    All these keywords.

    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
    • O40 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity - - - General

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