Über Jahrtausende hinweg entsprach der Lebensstandard fast aller Menschen weltweit mehr oder weniger dem Existenzminimum, bis er Ende des 18. Jahrhunderts drastisch anstieg. Viele Nationen genießen heute beispiellosen Wohlstand, andere haben den Sprung aus der wirtschaftlichen Stagnation noch...

This research argues that variations in the interplay between cultural assimilation and cultural diffusion have played a significant role in giving rise to differential patterns of economic development across the globe. Societies that were geographically less vulnerable to cultural diffusion,...

This paper exploits cross-country variation in the degree of geographical isolation, prior to the advent of sea-faring and airborne transportation technologies, to examine its impact on the course of economic development across the globe. The empirical investigation establishes that prehistoric...