Why Nations Fail

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Daron Acemoğlu (2009)

Why nations fail ( English Why Nations Fail ) is a in 2012 in English and in 2013 published in German translation nonfiction economic and political scientist Daron Acemoğlu and James A. Robinson . It was recommended by Nobel Prize winners in Economics, George Akerlof , Gary S. Becker , Michael Spence , Robert Solow , Peter A. Diamond, and Kenneth J. Arrow .

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In a total of 15 chapters, the authors examine which causes are responsible for the economic and political success or failure of states. They argue why the previous explanations for the emergence of state prosperity and poverty - such as the geographical location, climate, culture or religion or economic policy - are inadequate or flawed. Contributing to the study are states that have similarities between the factors mentioned, but have each developed in a different direction in terms of social wealth. Korea , which was divided over 60 years ago and today no longer has any economic similarities , is cited as a striking example . But also using a border town, such as Nogales in the United States of America and Nogales in Mexico , the extent to which the institutional and economic environment affects the poverty and wealth of the inhabitants differently, given the same geographical location and almost the same culture of the inhabitants.

The central thesis of the authors is that economic success depends primarily on inclusive, i.e. inclusive, economic and political institutions . Empirical evidence supports this thesis. Only a functioning democratic and pluralistic constitutional state is in a position to fully exploit ideas and talents that are evenly distributed among the population. In extractive (leaching, exclusive) systems, autocracies , however, entrepreneurs and citizens would have little incentive for the investments and innovations necessary to create wealth, since the ruling class had to fear creative destruction . Creative Destruction creates new groups that can compete with the elite for power. The elites would lose their sole access to the country's economic and financial resources.

The emergence of democratic pluralism in England through the Glorious Revolution of 1688 as the country of origin of the Industrial Revolution is exemplified. The Soviet Union is cited as a negative example, although it initially recorded acceptable economic growth until the 1970s, but was unable to further exploit the potential of its citizens.

Reviews (selection)

“Tim Neshitov does not seem to be completely convinced of the attempts to explain the crisis by the two authors Daron Acemoglu and James A. Robinson. However, he admits that the authors do not even formulate the claim of a declaration. Rather, newspapers such as the New York Times had suggested it to them. The reviewer explains what the book does on the other hand: It tries to refute previous theses about the origins of poverty (e.g. the climate argument). The reviewer can get over historical anecdotes and inaccuracies. Neshitov, on the other hand, sees the fact that the band does not answer when a nation is considered to have failed as a deficiency.

- Tim Neshitov, Süddeutsche Zeitung , review note at Perlentaucher

“Despite some inaccuracies, Elisabeth von Thadden cautiously toying with Daron Acemoglus and James A. Robinson's 'Why Nations Fail'. What the two authors are trying to substantiate on six hundred pages with numerous case studies can basically be broken down into a few sentences, explains the reviewer: Power elites are bad for social prosperity, civil rights are good. Only if the government is accountable to the citizens and various interests are taken into account can the majority of the people take advantage of their economic opportunities: Property and contract rights and a functioning judiciary are needed , summarizes von Thadden. The authors call every policy that is committed to this goal 'inclusive', every one that acts contrary to it 'extractive'. As sympathetic as the reviewer finds this hymn to the 'effectiveness of political institutions in the rule of law', it still remains somewhat too vague: In Acemoglu and Robinson, economy and democracy seem to coincide. The democratic bottleneck at the European level is just as underestimated as, at least in the history of Germany, the close and often successful cooperation between business and authoritarian governments. "

- Elisabeth von Thadden , Die Zeit , review note at Perlentaucher

“The authors support their thesis with an anecdotal ride through history. The Roman Empire, the Mayan Empire, Europe plagued by the plague or the Congo under Kabila are just a few of the stops that are vividly dealt with, and it is fascinating to watch how Acemoglu and Robinson manage to sell their model as a quasi-world formula. Be it to explain the long-term consequences of colonialism in the Caribbean, to deduce the hesitant patent system in Mexico from the equally reluctant lending of the banks there, or to illustrate the economic bleeding of the Eastern Bloc as a result of Stalin's misguided bonus culture. [...] Precisely because it provokes contradictions, 'Why Nations Fail' remains stimulating reading. However, it is questionable whether it would have actually taken almost 600 pages, especially since arguments and anecdotes that have already been put forward in previous chapters are repeated several times. After a third of the book you know the arguments of the authors. "

- Moritz Honert, Der Tagesspiegel

“Why Nations Fail [is] a valuable book. It points to the historically close interweaving of freedom and prosperity. It encourages the West to press ahead with building liberal institutions, as the EU is currently trying to do in Eastern Europe, not entirely without success. And it shows, regardless of what anti-capitalist redemption fantasies promise us in times of crisis like this, how fragile and precious the achievements of liberalism are. "

- Edward Kanterian, Gloss & Misery Literature and Critique of Time

“It is the great strength and at the same time the great weakness of 'Why Nations Fail' that the answer sounds and probably is so simple. It is the political and economic institutions in the USA, in Mexico, all over the world that decide the weal and woe of a country. […] The central thesis of the parforcer ride across continents and through centuries with many examples is: Democratic political and economic institutions that involve the population create prosperity. Governments or business elites that try to withhold resources, market access, participation and education from their populations create poverty, crime and decline. "

- Lutz Lichtenberger, Berliner Zeitung

“The question of the causes of economic prosperity preoccupied Adam Smith, the father of modern economics, in the 18th century, and many other economists after him. In spring 2012, 'Why Nations Fail' […] was published, a book that deserves to be included in the series of works explaining economic prosperity. 'Why Nations Fail' is written in popular science, but is based on around a dozen years of research with numerous, in some cases very special, publications in the specialist scientific press. [...] The book is very factual and allows all kinds of fascinating, occasionally amusing insights into little-known episodes of world history, but occasionally gets tired from unnecessary repetitions. [...] The greatest strength of the book is also the most important point of attack. Scientific work includes reduction to the essentials; in this respect, the thesis that almost exclusively the political institutions decide on long-term economic prosperity is very pointed, but of course also very reader-friendly. "

- Gerald Braunberger, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung

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 .

Web links

TV and radio reports
Press releases

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Review note on SZ from June 27, 2013 at Perlentaucher , accessed on August 3, 2013.
  2. ^ Review note on ZEIT from March 21, 2013 at Perlentaucher , accessed on August 3, 2013.
  3. ↑ Der Tagesspiegel: The world formula for success , from June 3, 2013.
  4. ^ Gloss & Elend: The Power of Institutions , May 8, 2013.
  5. ^ Berliner Zeitung: Democratic participation creates prosperity , July 7, 2013
  6. ^ Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung: Acemoglu, Daron; Robinson, James: Why Nations Fail. , Print edition of December 23, 2012, p. 33. Available online (PDF).