TY  - JOUR
AU  - Nunn,Nathan
TI  - The Importance of History for Economic Development
JF  - National Bureau of Economic Research Working Paper Series
VL  - No. 14899
PY  - 2009
Y2  - April 2009
UR  - http://www.nber.org/papers/w14899
L1  - http://www.nber.org/papers/w14899.pdf
N1  - Author contact info:
Nathan Nunn
Department of Economics
Harvard University
1805 Cambridge St
Cambridge, Ma 02138
Tel: 617/496-4958
Fax: 617/495-8570
E-Mail: nnunn@fas.harvard.edu
AB  - 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.
ER  -