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A review by marieketron
Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity, and Poverty by Daron Acemoğlu, James A. Robinson
Did not finish book. Stopped at 20%.
Read a review that said "The authors present the 'inclusive' and 'exclusive' political and economical systems in the first chapter and the rest of the book is only different examples of these systems." So no thank you on further reading. Additional reasons:
- while geography and culture are unlikely to be singular reasons why a nation fails or succeeds (a description that's never satisfactorily quantified btw), I do expect they are not entirely neglible as influences
- similarly, inclusive vs exclusive theory is more encompassing, but the book doesnt sound like it will try to explain Why exclusive systems gain the upper hand in one nation and not in another.
- also doesnt investigate how a nation can slide from one to the other (beyond the requirements in sliding from one another > why do these requirements form in certain nations and not in others?)
- posits that a nation must be run on an inclusive or exclusive system and there is little middle ground outside of brief periods of transition > what about countries where we can see governments / elections / voters slowly slip from one system to another?
- posits USA as the be all and end all of successful nations. which. No.
- while geography and culture are unlikely to be singular reasons why a nation fails or succeeds (a description that's never satisfactorily quantified btw), I do expect they are not entirely neglible as influences
- similarly, inclusive vs exclusive theory is more encompassing, but the book doesnt sound like it will try to explain Why exclusive systems gain the upper hand in one nation and not in another.
- also doesnt investigate how a nation can slide from one to the other (beyond the requirements in sliding from one another > why do these requirements form in certain nations and not in others?)
- posits that a nation must be run on an inclusive or exclusive system and there is little middle ground outside of brief periods of transition > what about countries where we can see governments / elections / voters slowly slip from one system to another?
- posits USA as the be all and end all of successful nations. which. No.