Why Nations Fail

Why Nations Fail

by

Daron Acemoglu and James A. Robinson

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Sir Arthur Lewis Character Analysis

Sir Arthur Lewis was an influential economist from Saint Lucia. He proposed the dual economy paradigm in his landmark 1955 work The Theory of Economic Growth. Acemoglu and Robinson reference Lewis’s idea about less-developed countries having two distinct economies, applying it to the Apartheid system in South Africa and arguing that extractive government policies are what led to this dual economy.
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Sir Arthur Lewis Character Timeline in Why Nations Fail

The timeline below shows where the character Sir Arthur Lewis appears in Why Nations Fail. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 9: Reversing Development
Global Inequality and Economic Growth Theme Icon
History and Institutional Change Theme Icon
...the section “Making a Dual Economy,” Acemoglu and Robinson explain that economists still usually follow Arthur Lewis ’s model to explain less-developed countries. Lewis argued that these countries have dual economies that... (full context)
Global Inequality and Economic Growth Theme Icon
...system. In the mid-20th century, development economists viewed South Africa as a natural example of Arthur Lewis ’s dual economy. But actually, government policy created it. (full context)