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Economic Backwardness in Political Perspective

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 February 2006

DARON ACEMOGLU  and
JAMES A. ROBINSON
DARON ACEMOGLU
Affiliation:
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
JAMES A. ROBINSON
Affiliation:
Harvard University
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Abstract

We construct a simple model where political elites may block technological and institutional development, because of a “political replacement effect.” Innovations often erode elites' incumbency advantage, increasing the likelihood that they will be replaced. Fearing replacement, political elites are unwilling to initiate change and may even block economic development. We show that the relationship between blocking and political competition is nonmonotonic: elites are unlikely to block development when there is a high degree of political competition or when they are highly entrenched. It is only when political competition is limited and also when their power is threatened that elites will block development. Blocking is also more likely when political stakes are higher, for example, because of land rents enjoyed by the elites. External threats, on the other hand, may reduce the incentives to block.

Type
ARTICLES
Information
American Political Science Review , Volume 100 , Issue 1 , February 2006 , pp. 115 - 131
Copyright
© 2006 by the American Political Science Association

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