The advent of modern science made possible the emergence of sustained economic growth. Without growth in scientific knowledge, the productivity growth experienced during the Industrial Revolution would have eventually diminished, as did growth from previous productivity revolutions (i.e....

Political competition between European countries has often been viewed as being a stimulus to the innovation process and part of the reason why Europe was the first region of the world to experience sustained growth. Countries that fell behind their rivals technologically and economically became...

Contrary to widespread belief, voting machines of older types, such as lever and punchcard systems, are not used in counties with lower income - and newer machines, such as optical scanners and electronic machines, are not used in richer counties. We provide an economic explanation for this and...