This paper argues that openness to goods trade in combination with an unequal distribution of political power has been … provision of schooling are typically lower in an open than in a closed economy. Moreover, we find that, under openness to trade …, development is faster in a democratic system. We also endogenize the trade regime and demonstrate that, in political equilibrium …

economic development, notably institutions and geography. This paper sheds a different light on these determinants. We use … spatial econometrics to analyse the importance of the geography of institutions. We show that it is not only absolute … for a country's gdp per capita. Apart from a country's own institutions, institutions in neighboring countries turn out to …

-colonial autocratic institutions within ethnic groups and the emergence of autocratic institutions across countries. Diversity has … amplified the importance of institutions in mitigating the adverse effects of non-cohesiveness on productivity, while … contributing to the scope for domination, leading to the formation of institutions of the autocratic type …

related to country-level particularities, such as a country's unique history, cultural attributes, or political institutions … mechanisms and possible remedies. First, national political institutions appear to play a marginal role at best in the landlocked … capita rises, ii) international trade becomes more relevant for the nation, and iii) national production shifts to …