Mark Koyama on What Makes Some Nations Richer Than Others | MHC Ep 210

Mark Koyama is Associate Professor of Economics at George Mason University and Mercatus Center. Mark earned his PhD in Economics from the University of Oxford. He focuses on how historical institutions functioned and on the relationship between culture and economic performance. He is the author of several books, most recently ‘How the World Became Rich’ with Jared Rubin. This podcast covers:
- How to measure prosperity today and in the past
- Does geography make some nations richer than others?
- Landlocked countries, Islamic empire, Mongol invasion
- Do institutions matter?
- Property rights vs political rights
- Does culture have an impact?
- Defining culture, attitude to change
- Does demography matter?
- Black death, female participation
- Did colonisation and slavery make the difference?
- Transatlantic economy, India, resource transfer
- Why did north-west Europe industrialise first?
- What explains the China growth story?
- Outlook for US, Europe, China, and India
- Books mentioned: Guns, Germs and Steel (Diamond), Roman trilogy (Holland), Understanding the Process of Economic Change (North)
You can follow Mark here (substack.com/@....