The Fruit of the Vine? An Augmented Endowments-Inequality Hypothesis and the Rise of an Elite in the Cape Colony

Johan Fourie and Dieter von Fintel

No wp-2010-112, WIDER Working Paper Series from World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER)

Abstract: The arrival of European settlers at the Cape in 1652 marked the beginning of what would become an extremely unequal society. Comparative analysis reveals that certain endowments exist in societies that experience a 'persistence of inequality'. This paper shows that the emphasis on endowments may be overstated. A more general explanation allows for 'non-tropical products' to contribute to the rise and persistence of an elite, and consequently inequality.

Keywords: History of economics; Equality and inequality; Income distribution; Panel analysis (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2010
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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