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heatherww 's review for:
Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity, and Poverty
by Daron Acemoğlu, James A. Robinson
In Why Nations Fail, Acemoglu and Robinson push forward a theory that claims the prosperity of a nation has far more to do with inclusive institutions rather than specific policies or ideologies. How it matters with political and economic ideologies is that some produce inclusive institutions that thrive, and others don't (and inevitably fail).
The book relies on a telling of history that favours their theory (that the fall of most nations is caused by institutions that exclude the majority and favour the elites). My knowledge of the history discussed here is very limited, and it's probably debated how accurate each description is. However, the authors avoid potential criticism this by making the book very long and describing a massive multitude of societies and their respective rises and falls. This makes the book very convincing for those who read through to the end, but at times feels too long and gratuitous.
I enjoyed it and would recommend it those who are interested in examining a different theory of prosperity. While it doesn't provide 'solutions' it tells us that we should prioritise inclusive institutions and that sometimes our solutions cannot be found by picking the 'right option' but by promoting institutions that allow us to find the right options.
The book relies on a telling of history that favours their theory (that the fall of most nations is caused by institutions that exclude the majority and favour the elites). My knowledge of the history discussed here is very limited, and it's probably debated how accurate each description is. However, the authors avoid potential criticism this by making the book very long and describing a massive multitude of societies and their respective rises and falls. This makes the book very convincing for those who read through to the end, but at times feels too long and gratuitous.
I enjoyed it and would recommend it those who are interested in examining a different theory of prosperity. While it doesn't provide 'solutions' it tells us that we should prioritise inclusive institutions and that sometimes our solutions cannot be found by picking the 'right option' but by promoting institutions that allow us to find the right options.