Institutions and growth

I’ve been reading about growth lately. There’s the new Acemoglu and Johnson book and the accompanying debate.  Plus, for professional reasons have had to think about growth and development.  So, I figure, I should jot down my ever-evolving thoughts.  The idea is to do a series.  In practice, probably it will grind to a halt.  We’ll see.

Over the fold is the first instalment — a review essay I did in 2004.  Yes, the literature has moved since then.  But the contour of the debate hasn’t.