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The Long Process of Development: Building Markets and States in Pre-industrial England, Spain and their Colonies
Douglass North once emphasized that development takes centuries, but he did not have a theory of how and why change occurs. This groundbreaking book advances such a theory by examining in detail why England and Spain developed so slowly from 1000 to 1800. A colonial legacy must go back centuries before settlement, and this book points to key events in England and Spain in the 1260s to explain why Mexico lagged behind the United States economically in the twentieth century. Based on the integration of North's institutional approach with Mancur Olson's collective action theory, Max Weber's theory of value change, and North's focus on dominant coalitions based on rent and military in In the Shadow of Violence, this theory of change leads to exciting new historical interpretations, including the crucial role of the merchant-navy alliance in England and the key role of George Washington's control of the military in 1787.
458 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 30, 2014
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February 15, 2016
A book written for academics. The stated aim of the book is to explore the role played by time and institutions in economic development and to develop a model for setting goals or policy advice for developing countries. This is in response to the failure of developmental programs in recent years, ex. Pakistan and Iraq.
The authors undertake this task through a study of the histories of Spain and England and their colonies of the future Mexico and the United States. My own interest in the book was mostly in regard to the histories of England and Spain. While I had a certain clear knowledge of the development of England's institutions and economy, my knowledge of Spanish development has been spotty. I have long had a curiosity as to why Spain, especially after creating an empire, never developed an economy to compete with England. While there are several faults with the book, I do have a better sense as to what happened and why.
That being said, while there has been a great deal of research done for the book, the suggestion that time and specific state institutions, such as the ability to effectively tax, are necessary for economic development is not exactly rocket science. I don't know that any thoughtful person watching people lining up to vote in Afghanistan or dancing in the streets of Libya seriously thought, "Well, they're well on their way to democracy and economic success." Apparently, according to the authors, I'm wrong. Western governments seemed to believe in overnight success.
In any event, I did glean a great deal of interesting information, particularly on Spain and Mexico. This was my goal so, generally, I am pleased with the book. I do have several criticisms however.
There were numerous obvious typos in the book. These resulted in faults such as dates hundreds of years off and monarchs being confused (Ferdinand VII becoming Ferdinand VIII - who actually didn't exist).
Also, at times the two authors, with their different areas of specialization, seemed to be going off on different tangents. Comparisons between the countries were often in different terms, such as population data versus export data. These kind of failures tended to weaken what I believe would be a strong set of arguments. Better editors could have done a great deal to improve the book.
The authors undertake this task through a study of the histories of Spain and England and their colonies of the future Mexico and the United States. My own interest in the book was mostly in regard to the histories of England and Spain. While I had a certain clear knowledge of the development of England's institutions and economy, my knowledge of Spanish development has been spotty. I have long had a curiosity as to why Spain, especially after creating an empire, never developed an economy to compete with England. While there are several faults with the book, I do have a better sense as to what happened and why.
That being said, while there has been a great deal of research done for the book, the suggestion that time and specific state institutions, such as the ability to effectively tax, are necessary for economic development is not exactly rocket science. I don't know that any thoughtful person watching people lining up to vote in Afghanistan or dancing in the streets of Libya seriously thought, "Well, they're well on their way to democracy and economic success." Apparently, according to the authors, I'm wrong. Western governments seemed to believe in overnight success.
In any event, I did glean a great deal of interesting information, particularly on Spain and Mexico. This was my goal so, generally, I am pleased with the book. I do have several criticisms however.
There were numerous obvious typos in the book. These resulted in faults such as dates hundreds of years off and monarchs being confused (Ferdinand VII becoming Ferdinand VIII - who actually didn't exist).
Also, at times the two authors, with their different areas of specialization, seemed to be going off on different tangents. Comparisons between the countries were often in different terms, such as population data versus export data. These kind of failures tended to weaken what I believe would be a strong set of arguments. Better editors could have done a great deal to improve the book.
Displaying 1 of 1 review