Mancur Olson's theory of the decline of nations is path-breaking in political economics. It has been tested cross-sectionally in numerous empirical studies. We survey the existing results briefly, with a special focus on studies using the number of lobbies as an exogenous variable. Using data...

Spatial development is a multi-dimensional process in which knowledge creation plays a crucial role. Since knowledge production is an interactive process, the interplay between the dimensions of social interaction, spatial scales and time are central. Cities and regions strongly depend on the...