The views of Joel Mokyr

Provide no more than 6 to 8 sentence answers all five questions below. Make
specific references to the books we discussed in class to argue your case. I am
looking for clear & strong arguments bolstered by specific references to
content we covered in class.

1. Compare and contrast the views of Joel Mokyr (in The Culture of Growth) and
   Mancur Olson (in The Rise and Decline of Nations) on the role of political
   institutions versus culture as a driver of sustained economic growth and prosperity.
   How does this comparison inform the debate about the role of institutions as the
   main driver of sustained economic growth?
   There are two other related resources available for this book, both of which are REQUIRED viewing.
   First, the video presentation by Joel himself:
   Second, his PPT presentation slides:
   A Culture of Growth Presentation Slides

Powerpoint Slides on The Rise & Decline of Nations (Olson) Download Powerpoint Slides on The Rise & Decline of Nations (Olson)
Notes on The Rise & Decline of Nations (Olson)

2. Consider Jared Rubin’s main hypothesis in his book, Ruler, Religion and Riches. How does the invention of the printing press factor in his key argument? Why didn’t the Catholic Church make as effective use of printing as did Protestants? Put your discussion in the context of Joel Mokyr’s main argument (regarding biases in cultural evolution), but be as specific as you can.

The Economics Detective Podcast/Interview (Links to an external site.)

There are three related resources available for this book.
First, the video presentation by Jared himself:
Second, his PPT presentation slides:
A Culture of Growth Presentation Slides Download A Culture of Growth Presentation Slides
Last, there is a podcast/interview:
The Economics Detective Podcast/Interview

3. Refer to the article entitled “A Theory of Cultural Revivals,” coauthored by Iyigun, Rubin and Seror (EER, June 2021, covered in Module 15). a. How is culture transmitted from generation to generation? Would parents who belong to a minority cultural group invest more or less in indoctrinating their children? b. How does the cultural makeup of society affect the evolution of political institutions and through which channels? c. How can the elites from a dominant cultural group maintain their political power when some exogenous shocks to the society threaten their influence?

A Theory of Cultural Revivals

4. Consider the main hypothesis of Jared Rubin’s book. Reconcile his main arguments with those in Chapter 1 of War, Peace and Prosperity in the Name of God. Did monotheisms potentially differ than other faiths in the context of the Rubin hypothesis? Why or why not? Backup your contention with some specifics. (Hint: consider and discuss if monotheistic religions might have been different in their impact on the legitimization of political rule and, if so, how).

First, there are PPT presentation slides:
War, Peace & Prosperity Presentation Slides Download War, Peace & Prosperity Presentation Slides
Second, we have an hour long podcast/interview on the book:
Research on Religion Podcast/Interview (August 2015) (Links to an external site.)
And third, we have a technical appendix:
Technical Appendix

5. Chapter 6 of Rubin’s book, Rulers, Religion and Riches argues that the printing press enabled the Protestant Reformation to survive and flourish. Becker & Woessman’s article entitled “Was Weber Right?,” (QJE, 2008) argues that demand for printed material (mostly the Bible) rose significantly in Protestant regions, which improved literacy. Are these views complimentary or mutually exclusive? What kind of data and empirical investigation are required to test the validity of each hypothesis? What do the authors do?
   There are three related resources available for this book.
   First, the video presentation by Jared himself:
   Second, his PPT presentation slides:
   A Culture of Growth Presentation Slides Download A Culture of Growth Presentation Slides
   Last, there is a podcast/interview:
   The Economics Detective Podcast/Interview

Becker & Woessmann document that the Protestant Reformation led to a cultural change whereby literacy improved among the Protestants in Europe. They show that this then led to economic development.
Was Weber Wrong?