In the hands of the byzantian emperors, christianity was as repressive and as a top down state religion as any. Once you get the printing press and literacy, individualism then blossoms, right? Does and jan i mathat teat that are not in christianity. The roots of that are exactly in the mixture of christianity with the bottom up politics of the frank institutions. You see those assemblies playing a role at every stage, constraining kings and completely changing th political traditions even after the norman conquest. In the case of anglo saxon briton or england, christianity plays much secondary role relative to the assembly
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