As Africa's role on the global stage is rising, so does the need to understand the shadow of
history on the continent's economy and polity. We discuss recent works that shed light on …

The immense economic inequality we observe in the world today didn't happen overnight, or
even in the past century. It is the path dependent outcome of a multitude of historical …

In many developing countries, the institutional framework governing economic life has its
roots in the colonial period, when the interests of European settlers clashed with those of the …

A large literature is present on how colonial origins through the channels of Institutions and
human capital explain the income variation between countries. In most cases, it is argued …

“This volume is another proof, if you needed one, that the comparative perspective
enormously enriches the social sciences. The volume thankfully brings together scholars …

More than two centuries after Smith's Wealth of Nations, economists still inquire why the
whole world is not developed. As earlier chapters have indicated, their analyses have …

In the last half century, economics has taken over from anthropology the role of drawing the
powerful conceptual worldviews that organize knowledge and inform policy in both domestic …

Levels of economic development vary widely within countries in the Americas. This paper
argues that part of this variation has its roots in the colonial era. Colonizers engaged in …

The effects of the expansion of Europe have fascinated historians and economists, as well
as the public at large, for centuries. One of the most intriguing and controversial effects of …