The Geography of Underdevelopment Institutions and the Impact of Culture [Hardcover]

This book examines why the differences in comparative economic development across the world have a geographical pattern. It argues that there is a missing component in the geography versus institutions debate, namely the role of culture and its impact either directly on development or indirectly through the establishment of institutions. The impact of geographical features such as climate and natural resources is studied both across countries and within political boundaries and is supplemented by the work of social scientists in other disciplines on culture and cultural evolution. By examining the direct effects of geography on standards of living as well as its indirect effects via culture and institutions, a case is made to tie all three factors into a cohesive explanation for underdevelopment. This book will appeal to readers interested in wider perspectives on under-development that go beyond explanations resting on standard neo-classical economic theory.The central question at the heart of the book rests on why the differences in comparative development across the world have a geographical pattern. Past studies have argued for the primacy of geography or institutions as the reasons for these differences. The book will argue that there is a missing link in this puzzle the role of culture and its impact either directly on development or indirectly through the establishment of institutions. It will suggest that geography, which tends to be assigned a peripheral role through its influence on institutions, may be responsible for aspects of cultural evolution, which in turn have an effect on institutional development.The relationship between geographical factors and economic development has historically been ignored by economists. However, views about the correlation between temperature and climate have been expressed in works dating as far back as Montesquieu (1748) and Huntington (1915). The first part of the book will present research that examines specific featurl3�