The Physiological Foundations of the Wealth of Nations

Carl-Johan Dalgaard and Holger Strulik

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

Abstract: In the present paper we advance a theory of pre-industrial growth where body size and population size are endogenously determined. Despite the fact that parents invest in both child quantity and productivity enhancing child quality, a take-off does not occur due to a key "physiological check": if human body size rises, subsistence requirements will increase. This mechanism turns out to be instrumental in explaining why income stagnates near an endogenously determined subsistence boundary. Key predictions of the model are supported by cross-country data.

Keywords: stagnation; Subsistence; Nutrition; Body size; Population growth (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I12 J13 O11 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 40 pages
Date: 2011-10
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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Related works:
Journal Article: The physiological foundations of the wealth of nations (2015)
Working Paper: The Physiological Foundations of the Wealth of Nations (2010)
Working Paper: The Physiological Foundations of the Wealth of Nations (2010)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:han:dpaper:dp-480

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