In order to have a positive, synegistic dynamic you need both an already mobilized society with the norms and traditions of participating politics. And then you also need some sort of institutional elements that survive, or that are present,. about how institutions are how state institutions are run. Let me take a specific example, and then we can talk about human capital in that context. So one of the most i mean, you cannot talk about liberty without est addressing to some degree, why europe is exceptional. Why is it that certain representative institutions developed most strongly in europe? The demand certainly was there throughout the world, but they took strongest root in europe.
What determines the economic, social, and political trajectories of nations? Why were settlers in colonies like Jamestown and Australia able to escape the extractive systems desired by their British masters, while colonial subjects in Barbados and Jamaica were not? In his latest book, Daron Acemoglu elevates the power of institutions over theories centering on human capital, culture, or geography. Institutions help strike the balance of power in the constant struggle between state and society, creating a ‘narrow corridor’ through which liberty and prosperity is achieved.
Daron joined Tyler for a conversation about drivers of economic growth, the economic causes and effects of democratization, how Germanic tribes introduced “bottom-up politics” to the Roman empire, the institutional reasons that China’s state capacity and control has increased with its wealth, his predictions for the future of liberty in his birth country of Turkey, the biggest challenges currently facing the Middle East, what we can learn from the example of Lagos, why publishing in the “top five” is overrated, tips on motivating graduate students, and more.
Read a full transcript enhanced with helpful links.
Recorded October 25th, 2019 Other ways to connect