While cases of state failure have risen in the last decade, most notably in the Middle East and sub-Saharan Africa, they are not a new phenomenon. Historical evidence from the early modern period, and even the Bronze Age, shows that the majority of formed states have failed rather than thrived. This column introduces the ‘paradox of civilisation’ to characterise the obstacles settlements face in establishing civilisations. The paradox defines the success of a civilisation as a trade-off between the ability to produce economic surplus and to protect it. It is therefore important to correctly balance military and economic support when providing aid.
Ernesto Dal Bó, Pablo Hernandez-Lagos, Sebastián Mazzuca, 26 July 2016
Related
-
James Banks, Zoë Oldfield, James P Smith
Most Read
-
Lalive, Magesan, Staubli
-
Chronopoulos, Kampanelis, Oto-Peralías, Wilson
-
Cagé, Dagorret, Grosjean, Jha
-
Escobari, Levy Yeyati
-
Caffarra, Scott Morton
-
Eichengreen, O'Rourke
-
Burgess, Sievertsen
-
Mitze, Kosfeld, Rode, Wälde
-
Heldring, Robinson
-
Eichengreen
Blogs&Reviews
-
Sapir
-
Bouchaud, Farmer
-
Baldwin
-
Kende
-
Angeloni
Vox eBooks

Bartsch, Bénassy-Quéré, Corsetti, Debrun, 15 December 2020
Don't Miss
Bartsch, Bénassy-Quéré, Corsetti, Debrun
Scheuer
Bozio, Garbinti, Goupille-Lebret, Guillot, Piketty
Events
-
28 - 29 January 2021 / Online - Zoom / Timberlake Consultants
-
29 - 29 January 2021 / Online /
-
5 - 5 February 2021 / Online /
-
12 - 12 February 2021 / Online / Erasmus University Rotterdam, Tilburg University and the University of Amsterdam
-
12 - 12 February 2021 / Online /
CEPR Policy Research
-
Gobillon, Solignac
-
Giglio, Maggiori, Stroebel, Weber
-
Summers, Fatás
-
Favero, Galasso
-
Butt, Churm, McMahon, Morotz, Schanz
-
Eichengreen, Avgouleas, Poiares Maduro, Panizza, Portes, Weder di Mauro, Wyplosz, Zettelmeyer
-
Baldwin, Beck, Bénassy-Quéré, Blanchard, Corsetti, De Grauwe, den Haan, Giavazzi, Gros, Kalemli-Ozcan, Micossi, Papaioannou, Pesenti, Pissarides , Tabellini, Weder di Mauro
-
Baldwin, Nakatomi
-
Thimann
-
Goodhart, Perotti