Working Paper: NBER ID: w14899
Authors: Nathan Nunn
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.
Keywords: Economic Development; History; Institutions; Culture; Technology
JEL Codes: N00
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| slave trade (J47) | long-term economic development in Africa (O55) |
| mita system (E42) | economic outcomes in Peru (F69) |
| historical events (N94) | economic development (O29) |
| cultural norms (Z13) | economic development (O29) |
| knowledge transfer (O36) | economic development (O29) |
| colonial rule (F54) | domestic institutions (F55) |
| domestic institutions (F55) | current economic outcomes (E66) |
| settler mortality rates (J11) | domestic institutions (F55) |
| settler mortality rates (J11) | current income levels (E25) |