Why Nations Fail

What determines whether a country is rich or poor? How can it be explained that, under similar conditions, some countries experience famines while others do not? What role does politics play in these matters?
Nogales (Arizona) and Nogales (Sonora) have the same population, culture, and geographical location. Why is one rich and the other poor? Why is Botswana one of the most developed African countries, while neighboring countries like Zimbabwe, Congo, or Sierra Leone are plunged into the most desperate poverty? Why is North Korea one of the poorest countries in the world and South Korea one of the most prosperous?
Why Nations Fail answers these and other questions with a new and compelling theory: prosperity is not due to climate, geography, or culture, but to the policies dictated by each country's institutions. As a result, countries will not achieve economic growth until they have government institutions that develop sound policies.
Likewise, the authors answer the following questions:
• China is growing at a breathtaking pace. How long can it continue to grow at the same rate? Will it eventually crush the Western world?
• How long will the United States remain a world power? Is its economic system suitable for competing in the coming decades?
• What is the best method for lifting millions of people out of poverty? Do Western aid efforts really help eradicate famines?
Through a careful selection of historical and current examples (from ancient Rome through the Tudors and reaching modern China), renowned professors Daron Acemoglu and James A. Robinson will make you see the world, and its problems, in a completely different way.