ECON 6280 Study Guide - Midterm Guide: Jared Diamond, William Easterly, Economic Geography
Document Summary
Some countries manage to accumulate capital and innovate more rapidly: geography geographical conditions shape economic conditions -> only way to mitigate geographical risks is tech, institution need good structure/mechanism of social order and cooperation. Increasing returns due to man-made advantages, as opposed to physical geography (natural advantage) Geography matters less at the end of the development process, because technology offsets the effects of geography. Jeffrey sacks: there is adverse role of physical geography (geographical determinism) William easterly: foreign aid has failed to produce sustainable growth: aid has no effect if institutions are bad and aid doesn"t necessarily go to the right countries. Jared diamond authors of germs, guns, and steels emphasizes the arbitrary designation of borders that feed into conflicts in former colonies. Geography affects economic development: economic activity food production, sources of energy, natural resource exports, technological adaptation continental orientation and crop diffusion: europe-china has horizontal orientation while that of n and s america is vertical.
