Deep Roots Literature

Discussion

Lipton Matthews:

"The “deep roots” literature in economics seeks to explain the enduring nature of global inequality by tracing the economic destinies of nations to events that happened decades or centuries ago. From the coercive labor systems of colonial Latin America to the trust-eroding effects of Africa’s slave trade, the literature posits that historical events cast long shadows that shape present-day outcomes. However, this thesis falls apart under emprical scrutiny.

The central tenets of the deep roots literature—including its econometric foundations and its assumptions about institutional persistence—have been challenged by a growing body of scholarship. These new studies suggest that the influence of past events often diminishes over time: recovery, adaptation and endogenous reform are more common than rigid path dependence. And where path dependence does occur, it is more plausibly due to the population itself changing.

The argument that “extractive” institutions permanently hampered post-colonial societies has long been taken as a given. Yet longitudinal research shows that the effects of such institutions do not persist. When Robbert Maseland analysed over-time data on a sample of African countries, he found that colonial origins ceased to explain institutional quality or economic performance within a few decades after independence. This cessation is not surprising. While colonial administrators often imposed artificial boundaries and extractive institutions, these were frequently resisted, reconfigured or abandoned by post-colonial governments."

(https://www.aporiamagazine.com/p/did-slavery-sow-distrust-in-africa)