Why Nations Fail
Why nations fail (English Why Nations Fail) is a book published in English and 2013 in German translation in 2012 non-fiction book of the economic and political scientists Daron and James A. Robinson Acemoğlu. It was recommended by the economic Nobel laureates George Akerlof, Gary S. Becker, Michael Spence, Robert Solow, Peter A. Diamond and Kenneth J. Arrow.
Content
In a total of 15 chapters, the authors, which causes for the economic and political success or failure of States' responsibility to investigate. They argue this, which is why the recent explanations for the emergence of national wealth and poverty - such as the geographic location, climate, culture or religion, or economic policy - are insufficient or incorrect. To investigate this contribute States which have similarities of these factors, however, have each developed in a different direction with respect to the social wealth. As a striking example of this is headed Korea, which was divided over 60 years ago, and now have no more economic similarities. But even on the basis of a frontier town, as Nogales in the United States of America and Nogales, Mexico, is investigated to what extent the institutional and economic environment on poverty and wealth of the inhabitants having different effects in the same geographical location and approximately the same culture of the people.
The central thesis of the authors is that economic success depends primarily on inclusive, ie inclusive, economic and political institutions. Only a functioning democratic and pluralistic state of law is to fully exploit capable of ideas and talents, which are evenly distributed in the population. In an autocracy, however, would have on businesses and citizens are hardly any incentives for investment and innovation, as the ruling class must fear the Creative Destruction. Here, the emergence of democratic pluralism in England is cited as the country of origin of the Industrial Revolution as an example. As a negative example, the Soviet Union is called, which initially reported a passable economic growth, the potential of its citizens, but could not exploit.
Reviews (selection)
" Seems not fully convinced Tim Neshikov of the crisis attempts to explain the two authors Daron Acemoglu and James A. Robinson to be. However, he admits that the authors did not formulate the claim a statement. Rather was the them by newspapers, as was the New York Times, angedichtet. What does the book, however, explains the reviewer as: An attempt to refute previous theories on the emergence of poverty ( the Klimaragument for example ). Historical anecdotes and Ungenauiglkeiten can get over because the reviewer. The fact that the band is no answer to that, when a nation is considered a failure, Neshikov feels, however, as a defect. "
"Despite some inaccuracies Elisabeth von Thadden toying gently with Daron and James A. Robinson Acemoglus, Why nations fail '. What do the two authors to prove to six hundred pages with numerous case studies, it is basically possible to break down a few sentences, explain the reviewer: power elites are bad for social welfare, civil rights are good. Only if the government owes the citizens accountable and various interests are taken into account, the majority of the people can use their economic opportunities: property and contract rights must here and a functioning judicial system, summarizes von Thadden together. Any policy that prescribes to this goal, the authors, including call ', each one is repugnant to him, extractive '. Thus the sympathetic reviewer this hymn ' also applies to the, effectiveness of political institutions in the rule of law, her remains quite a bit too blurry: economics and democracy seem to coincide with Acemoglu and Robinson. Even the democratic bottleneck at European level is equally underestimated as, at least in the history of Germany, the close and often successful collaboration of business with authoritarian governments. "
"Your thesis underpin the authors with a rich anecdotal ride through history. Roman Empire, Mayan empire that pestgeplagte Europe or the Congo with Kabila are only a few stations, which are discussed clearly, and it is fascinating to watch, as Acemoglu and Robinson succeeds in their model to sell them as quasi- world formula. Be it in order to explain the long-term consequences of colonialism in the Caribbean, to derive the hesitant Patents Mexico from the timidity lending of U.S. banks, or to represent the economic drain of the Eastern Bloc misdirected as a result of Stalin bonuses culture. [ ... ] Just because it provokes contradiction remains, Why nations fail ' stimulating reading. However, whether it really would have taken almost 600 pages, especially since several times already put forward in previous chapters arguments and anecdotes are repeated, is questionable. After a third of the book you know the arguments of the authors. "
"Why Nations Fail [ is ] a valuable book. It points to the historically close ties between freedom and prosperity. It encourages the west, to expedite the development of liberal institutions, such as the EU currently tries in Eastern Europe, certainly not without success. And it shows no matter what in times of crisis such as these promise us salvation anti-capitalist fantasies of how fragile and precious are the achievements of liberalism. "
"It is the great strength and also the great weakness of, Why nations fail ' that the answer seems so simple and probably is, too. There are the political and economic institutions in the U.S., Mexico, all over the world that determine the weal and woe of a country. [ ... ] The central thesis of this tour de force Ritts across continents and centuries with many examples is: Democratic, the population -participative political and economic institutions generate wealth. Governments or economic elites who try to deny their people resources, market access, participation and education, generate poverty, crime, decline. "
" The question of the causes of economic prosperity has in the 18th century Adam Smith, the father of modern economics, busy, and after him many other economists. In the spring of 2012, with, Why Nations Fail ' [ ... ] a book published, the worthy, must be seen within the series of works for the explanation of economic prosperity., Why Nations Fail ' is written popular science, however, is based on a about a dozen years of working with numerous researchers, some of them very special publications in the scientific press. [ ... ] The book is very fact- rich and allows many fascinating, sometimes amusing insight into little-known episodes in the history of the world, but tired sometimes by unnecessary repetitions. [ ... ] The greatest strength of the book is also the main point of attack. For scientific work, the reduction belongs to the essentials; so far is the thesis that almost exclusively decide the political institutions over the long-term economic prosperity, very pointedly, but of course also very reader- friendly. "
Expenditure
- Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity, and Poverty. Crown Business, 2012, ISBN 0-307-71921-9.
- Bernd Rullkötter (translator ): Why nations fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity and Poverty. S. Fischer Verlag, 2013, ISBN 3-100-00546-5.