The Importance of History for Economic Development

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.

You may purchase this paper on-line in .pdf format from SSRN.com ($5) for electronic delivery.

Machine-readable bibliographic record - MARC, RIS, BibTeX