James Robinson Discusses Institutional Factors for National Failure

Harris Public Policy Professor James Robinson was featured in the Greek newspaper Η Καθημερινή (I Kathimerini), discussing the effect of democracy and political participation on closed economic institutions. 

"We have found very strong evidence that democratization in one country leads to an increase in public goods, education services, infrastructure projects, and higher economic growth," he said. "This is true regardless of the standard of living in which the country is located." He continued with a reminder that "political participation makes it more difficult to maintain closed economic institutions, but not impossible."

Full coverage available at Η Καθημερινή (I Kathimerini).

He was featured in the podcast Matters of State, where he discusses how institutions differentiate nations and how these differences cause some nations to fail and some nations to flourish. 

Robinson was additionally featured in the podcast Social Science Bites, where he discusses how to describe institutions in a way that takes history, incentives, and social norms into account.