Lessons in economic history
Discussion of theoretical and empirical contributions in economics and economic history. Comments here are inspired by material I’ve prepared for lectures as well as discussions with students.
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Why do we experience economic growth? As our economies develop, why do we expect long-term living standards to rise? Such progress is not an immutable law of economic activity. On the contrary, economic growth (on a per capita basis) is a relatively recent phenomenon. For most of human history, strong economic performance didn’t translate to…
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As a bachelor’s student, my exposure to economic history amounted to a few anecdotes. The European exchange rate mechanism (mark I). China’s Cultural Revolution and the Great Leap Forward. The story of bootleggers and baptists during the Prohibition era in the US. Interesting examples, but not a detailed look at the mechanisms that have helped…
