Why Nations Succeed: The Society and the State

The state is essential to economic development because it provides the framework within which such development can either falter or flourish. Unfortunately, much of the empirical work on the subject is very limited in scope and the theory too amorphous. The case studies usually do not analyze trends prior to the state’s colonial experience nor do they identify key variables, but rather incorporate many details without explaining their significance. This study aims to help fill these gaps by including the role of society. Utilizing China, I am able to trace the impact of the state and society upon economic development many hundreds of years prior to colonialism through a “within-case” analysis and then across cases through regression models. Ultimately, this study will hone current theories surrounding the state’s and society’s roles in economic development and provide more concrete direction for future research