Literature Review: The Colonial Origins of Economic Prosperity

This excerpt is a literature review on the relationship between colonialism and economic prosperity. The author, Burchell Wilson, explores a seminal paper by Acemoglu, Johnson, and Robinson, titled "The Colonial Origins of Comparative Development," which claims that European colonization practices have a lasting impact on present-day institutions and subsequently, economic prosperity. Wilson critiques this paper and other related works, arguing that they neglect key cultural and religious factors that influence prosperity and instead, over-emphasize the role of European institutions. He highlights the limitations of using early settler mortality rates as an instrument for measuring institutional quality and suggests that a more nuanced understanding of economic development requires considering the complex interplay of historical, cultural, and religious influences.