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What Drives the Historical Formation and Persistent Development of Territorial States?
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What Drives the Historical Formation and Persistent Development of Territorial States?

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  • James B. ANG

    (Division of Economics, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, 637332.)

Abstract

The importance of the length of state history for understanding variations in income levels, growth rates, quality of institutions and income distribution across countries has received a lot of attention in the recent literature on long-run comparative development. The literature, however, is silent about its deep historical origins. Against this backdrop, this paper makes the first attempt to explore the determinants of statehood by considering the potential roles of an early transition to fully-fledged agricultural production, the adoption of state-of-the-art military innovations, and the opportunity for economic interaction with the regional economic leader. The results demonstrate that only the association between economic interaction and the rise and development of the state is statistically robust.

Suggested Citation

  • James B. ANG, 2014. "What Drives the Historical Formation and Persistent Development of Territorial States?," Economic Growth Centre Working Paper Series 1405, Nanyang Technological University, School of Social Sciences, Economic Growth Centre.
    • Handle: RePEc:nan:wpaper:1405
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Ang, James B., 2020. "Early state institutions and the persistence of linguistic diversity," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 64(C).
    2. Vu, Trung V., 2021. "Statehood experience and income inequality: A historical perspective," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 94(C), pages 415-429.
    3. Jason H. Bowman & Xiaoping Chen & Ben G. Li, 2021. "A tale of two gravities," Economics and Politics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 33(1), pages 52-75, March.
    4. Huning, Thilo R. & Wahl, Fabian, 2017. "Lord of the lemons: Origin and dynamics of state capacity," Hohenheim Discussion Papers in Business, Economics and Social Sciences 22-2017, University of Hohenheim, Faculty of Business, Economics and Social Sciences.
    5. Dombi, Ákos & Grigoriadis, Theocharis, 2020. "State history and the finance-growth nexus: Evidence from transition economies," Economic Systems, Elsevier, vol. 44(1).
    6. Ang, James B. & Fredriksson, Per G., 2018. "State history, legal adaptability and financial development," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 89(C), pages 169-191.
    7. Dombi, Akos & Grigoriadis, Theocharis, 2017. "Ancestry, Diversity & Finance: Evidence from Transition Economies," Discussion Papers 2017/4, Free University Berlin, School of Business & Economics.
    8. Sam Hak Kan Tang & Charles Ka Yui Leung, 2016. "The Deep Historical Roots of Macroeconomic Volatility," The Economic Record, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 92(299), pages 568-589, December.
    9. Ang, James B. & Gupta, Satyendra Kumar, 2018. "Agricultural yield and conflict," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 92(C), pages 397-417.
    10. Huning, Thilo R. & Wahl, Fabian, 2023. "You reap what you know: Appropriability and the origin of European states," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
    11. Thilo R. Huning & Fabian Wahl, 2016. "You Reap What You Know: Observability of Soil Quality, and Political Fragmentation," Working Papers 0101, European Historical Economics Society (EHES).
    12. Trung V. Vu, 2023. "State history and political instability: The disadvantage of early state development," Kyklos, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 76(3), pages 351-379, August.
    13. Atanga Ondoa Henri & Seabrook Arthur Mveng, 2023. "State history, governance and financial institutions' efficiency: Evidence from African countries," International Journal of Finance & Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 28(4), pages 3824-3832, October.
    14. James B. Ang, 2019. "Culture, Legal Origins, And Financial Development," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 57(2), pages 1016-1037, April.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    state antiquity; nation formation; long-run comparative economic development;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • H70 - Public Economics - - State and Local Government; Intergovernmental Relations - - - General
    • O10 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - General
    • O40 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity - - - General

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