Colonial Persistence

James Fenske, Bishnupriya Gupta and Anwesh Mukhopadhyay

No 20135, CEPR Discussion Papers from Centre for Economic Policy Research

Abstract: We review the present-day impacts of colonial rule on former colonies. Persistence exists because of multiple equilibria, path dependence, institutions, culture, knowledge, and technology. Empirical work in this literature primarily uses tools from applied econometrics, though best practices are needed to overcome the limitations of these tools. Colonial interventions relating to institutions, infrastructure, land, forced labour, the slave trade, and human capital all have measurable impacts in the present. And yet many colonial interventions have failed to persist or have led to reversals. These cases are informative about why colonial rule still matters, as are cases where precolonial influences have had persistent impacts despite, or even because of, colonial rule.

Keywords: Long-run; development (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: F54 N10 P51 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025-04
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