The New Comparative Economic History

by Hatton, Timothy J.; O'Rourke, Kevin H.; Taylor, Alan M.; Summers, Lawrence H. (AFT)

• ISBN13: 9780262083614
• ISBN10: 0262083612
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2007-06-30
• Publisher: Mit Pr

Summary

The innovative approach to economic history known as the New Comparative Economic History represents a distinct change in the way that many economic historians view their role, do their work, and interact with the broader economics profession. The New Comparative Economic History reflects a belief that economic processes can best be understood by systematically comparing experiences across time, regions, and, above all, countries. It is motivated by current questions that are not nation specific-the sources of economic growth, the importance of institutions, and the impact of globalization-and focuses on long-run trends rather than short-run ups and downs in economic activity. The essays in this volume offer a New Economic Comparative History perspective on a range of topics and are written in honor of Jeffrey G. Williamson, the most distinguished and influential scholar in the field. The contributors, prominent American and European economists, consider such topics as migration, education, and wage convergence; democracy and protectionism in the nineteenth century; trade and immigration policies in labor-scarce economies; and the effect of institutions on European productivity and jobs. Contributors: Gayle J. Allard, Robert C. Allen, George R. Boyer, Gregory Clark, William J. Collins, Giovanni Federico, Richard S. Grossman, Timothy J. Hatton, Peter H. Lindert, Cormac O Grada, Alan L. Olmstead, Kevin H. O'Rourke, Suleyman Ozmucur, Sevket Pamuk, Karl Gunnar Persson, Leah Platt Boustan, Leandro Prados de la Escosura, Paul W. Rhode, Lawrence H. Summers, Alan M. Taylor, Jeffrey G. Williamson, Holger C. Wolf, and Tarik M. Yousef

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	p. ix
Introduction: The New Comparative Economic History	p. 1
India in the Great Divergence	p. 9
What Made Britannia Great? How Much of the Rise of Britain to World Dominance by 1850 Does the Industrial Revolution Explain?	p. 33
Did European Commodity Prices Converge during 1500-1800?	p. 59
Market Integration and Convergence in the World Wheat Market, 1800-2000	p. 87
Biological Globalization: The Other Grain Invasion	p. 115
Other People's Money: The Evolution of Bank Capital in the Industrialized World	p. 141
Education, Migration, and Regional Wage Convergence in U.S. History	p. 165
Democracy and Protectionism	p. 193
A Dual Policy Paradox: Why Have Trade and Immigration Policies Always Differed in Labor-Scarce Economies?	p. 217
Breaking the Fetters: Why Did Countries Exit the Interwar Gold Standard?	p. 241
Were Jews Political Refugees or Economic Migrants? Assessing the Persecution Theory of Jewish Emigration, 1881-1914	p. 267
Inequality and Poverty in Latin America: A Long-Run Exploration	p. 291
The Convergence of Living Standards in the Atlantic Economy, 1870-1930	p. 317
You Take the High Road and I'll Take the Low Road: Economic Success and Well-Being in the Longer Run	p. 343
Euro-Productivity and Euro-Jobs since the 1960s: Which Institutions Really Mattered?	p. 365
Afterword	p. 395
Contributors	p. 401
Index	p. 403
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