@techreport{NBERw14899,
 title = "The Importance of History for Economic Development",
 author = "Nathan Nunn",
 institution = "National Bureau of Economic Research",
 type = "Working Paper",
 series = "Working Paper Series",
 number = "14899",
 year = "2009",
 month = "April",
 URL = "http://www.nber.org/papers/w14899",
 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.},
}