Why Nations Fail by Daron Acemoglu , James A. Robinson

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Why-Nations-Fail-by-Daron-Acemoglu-,-James-A.-Robinson:Brilliant-and-engagingly-written, Why-Nations-Fail answers-the-question-that-has-stumped-the-experts-for-centuries:-Why-are-some-nations-rich-and-others-poor,-divided-by-wealth-and-poverty,-health-and-sickness,-food-and-famine?Is-it-culture,-the-weather,-geography?-Perhaps-ignorance-of-what-the-right-policies-are?Simply,-no.-None-of-these-factors-is-either-definitive-or-destiny.Otherwise,-how-to-explain-why-Botswana-has-become-one-of-the-fastest-growing-countries-in-the-world,while-other-African-nations,-such-as-Zimbabwe,-the-Congo,-and-Sierra-Leone,-are-mired-in-poverty-and-violence?Daron-Acemoglu-and-James-Robinson-conclusively-show-that-it-is-man-made-political-and-economic-institutions-that-underlie-economic-success-(or-lack-of-it).Korea,-to-take-just-one-of-their-fascinating-examples,is-a-remarkably-homogeneous-nation,-yet-the-people-of-North-Korea-are-among-the-poorest-on-earthwhile-their-brothers-and-sisters-in-South-Korea-are-among-the-richest.The-south-forged-a-society-that-created-incentives,-rewarded-innovation,and-allowed-everyone-to-participate-in-economic-opportunities.The-economic-success-thus-spurred-was-sustained-because-the-government-became-accountable-and-responsive-to-citizens-and-the-great-mass-of-people.Sadly,-the-people-of-the-north-have-endured-decades-of-famine,political-repression,-and-very-different-economic-institutions—with-no-end-in-sight.The-differences-between-the-Koreas-is-due-to-the-politics-that-created-these-completely-different-institutional-trajectories.Based-on-fifteen-years-of-original-research-Acemoglu-and-Robinson-marshall-extraordinary-historical-evidence-from-the-Roman-Empire,the-Mayan-city-states,-medieval-Venice,-the-Soviet-Union,-Latin-America,England,-Europe,-the-United-States,and-Africa-to-build-a-new-theory-of-political-economy-with-great-relevance-for-the-big-questions-of-today,-including:–China-has-built-an-authoritarian-growth-machine.-Will-it-continue-to-grow-at-such-high-speed-and overwhelm-the-West?–Are-America’s-best-days-behind-it?-Are-we-moving-from-a-virtuous-circle-in-which-efforts-by-elites-to-aggrandize-power-are-resisted-to-a-vicious-one-that-enriches-and-empowers-a-small-minority?–What-is-the-most-effective-way-to-help-move-billions-of-people-from-the-rut-of-poverty-to-prosperity?-Morephilanthropy-from-the-wealthy-nations-of-the-West?Or-learning-the-hard-won-lessons-of-Acemoglu-and-Robinson’s-breakthrough-ideas-on-the-interplay-between-inclusive-political-and-economic-institutions?Why-Nations-Fail will-change-the-way-you-look-at—and-understand—the-world.