Coinage developed in different ways in eastern and western Eurasia. In ancient China, early bronze ‘tool money' came to be replaced by round bronze coins that were supplemented by uncoined gold and silver bullion; whereas in the Greco-Roman world, precious-metal coins dominated from the start,...

Ökonomen und Politiker gehen heute nicht mehr von einer schnellen Angleichung der wirtschaftlichen Leistungsfähigkeit zwischen Ost- und Westdeutschland aus. In der Tat zeigen viele aktuelle Studien, dass regionalökonomische Unterschiede sehr persistent, also kaum veränderbar sind. Dieser...

Piracy in international waters is on the rise again, in particular off the coast of Somalia. While the dynamic game between pirates, ship-owners, insurance firms and the military seems to have reached some kind of equilibrium, piracy risks generating significant negative externalities to third...

This paper contributes to the understanding of the long-run consequences of Roman rule on economic development. In ancient times, the area of contemporary Germany was divided into a Roman and non-Roman part. The study uses this division to test whether the formerly Roman part of Germany show a...

This paper uses new data to extend the argument that there was an integrated wheat market in the late Roman Republic and early Roman Empire. I explore the meaning of randomness when data are scarce, and I investigate how we recreate the nature of ancient societies by asking new questions that...

The American Constitution was the creation of individuals who were well schooled in the classics, and who sought to incorporate the wisdom gained from ancient history and political philosophy. Professor Bonventre outlines the reliance of Adams, Madison, Wilson and other Founders on lessons...