Pre‐colonial ethnic institutions and contemporary African development

Econometrica • Vol/Iss. 81(1) • Blackwell Publishing Ltd • • Published In • Pages: 113-152 •
By Michalopoulos, Stelios, Papaioannou, Elias

Abstract

The researchers test the relationship between political complexity among African pre-colonial ethnic institutions and contemporary economic performance (using light-density data as a proxy). Their tests yield a robust positive association even after controlling for multiple alternative geographic, cultural, and economic variables, which they interpret as underscoring the ongoing importance of ethnic-specific institutions in shaping economic activity in contemporary Africa.

Samples

Sample Used Coded Data Comment
Ethnographic Atlas (EA)Murdock (1959, 1967)n = 534 African societies in EA

Hypotheses (1)

HypothesisSupported
Political centralization among pre-colonial African ethnic institutions is positively associated with contemporary regional development (114).Supported
Documents and Hypotheses Filed By: jack.dunnington