Why Nations Fail

The origins of power, prosperity, and poverty

Abstract:
Why are some nations more prosperous than others? "Why Nations Fail" sets out to answer this question with a compelling and elegantly argued new theory: that it is not due to climate, geography, or culture, but because of institutions. Drawing on an extraordinary range of contemporary and historical examples, from ancient Rome through the Tudors to modern-day China, leading academics Daron Acemoglu and James A. Robinson show that to invest and prosper, people need to know that if they work hard, they can make money and actually keep it. This requires sound institutions that allow virtuous circles of innovation, expansion, and peace.

Based on fifteen years of research and addressing the competing arguments of authors ranging from Max Weber to Jeffrey Sachs and Jared Diamond, Acemoglu and Robinson step boldly into the territory of Francis Fukuyama and Ian Morris. They blend economics, politics, history, and current affairs to provide a new, powerful, and persuasive way of understanding wealth and poverty.

Authors: Daron Acemoglu; James A. Robinson

From the author:
Daron Acemoglu is the Killian Professor of Economics at MIT and recipient of the prestigious John Bates Clark Medal. James A. Robinson is a political scientist and economist, the David Florence Professor of Government at Harvard University, and a world-renowned expert on Latin America and Africa.

They are the authors of "Economic Origins of Dictatorship and Democracy," which won numerous prizes.