The Simplest Unified Growth Theory

Holger Strulik and Jacob Weisdorf

Hannover Economic Papers (HEP) from Leibniz Universität Hannover, Wirtschaftswissenschaftliche Fakultät

Abstract: This paper provides a unified growth theory, i.e. a model that explains the very long-run economic and demographic development path of industrialized economies, stretching from the pre-industrial era to present-day and beyond. Making strict use of Malthus' (1798) so-called preventive check hypothesis - that fertility rates vary inversely with the price of food - the current study offers a new and straightforward explanation for the demographic transition and the break with the Malthusian era. The current framework lends support to existing unified growth theories and is well in tune with historical evidence about structural transformation.

Keywords: Economic Growth; Population Growth; Structural Change; Industrial Revolution (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: J10 J13 O11 O14 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 19 pages
Date: 2007-09
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-dev and nep-mac
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http://diskussionspapiere.wiwi.uni-hannover.de/pdf_bib/dp-375.pdf (application/pdf)

Related works:
Working Paper: The Simplest Unified Growth Theory (2007)
Working Paper: The Simplest Unified Growth Theory (2007)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:han:dpaper:dp-375

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