Michael Woolcock|Simon Szreter|V. K. R. V. Rao
How and Why Does History Matter for Development Policy?
World Bank|University of Cambridge|World Bank
abstract abstract consensus among scholars policymakers institutions matter development led inexorably conclusion history matters since institutions clearly form evolve time unfortunately however next logical step yet taken recognise historians economic historians might also useful distinctive insights offer article endeavours open sustain constructive dialogue history understood past discipline development policy clarifying craft historical scholarship entails especially pertains understanding causal mechanisms contexts complex processes institutional change b providing examples historical research support qualify challenge influential research economists economic historians contemporary development policy c offering general principles specific implications historians basis distinctive content method research bring development policy debates acknowledgements views expressed article authors alone attributed respective organisations grateful world bank via wdr2006sida fund research support budget brooks world poverty institute university manchester history policy initiative support project article benefited greatly participants history development policy workshop organised authors ca bayly held university manchester seminar attendees subsequent presentations oxford lse brown center global development deeply indebted ca bayly encouragement valuable suggestions throughout project insightful comments two anonymous referees helpful feedback also received armando barrientos michael clemens christopher gibson shirin rai dennis rodgers matthias vom hau notes 1 see among many others scholars sokoloff engerman 2000 sokoloff k engerman 2000 institutions factor endowments paths development new world journal economic perspectives 143 217232 crossref web science google scholar orourke williamson 2001 orourke k williamson j 2001 globalization history evolution nineteenth century atlantic economy cambridge mit press google scholar lindert 2004 lindert p h 2004 growing public social spending economic growth since eighteenth century vol 2 cambridge cambridge university press google scholar findlay orourke 2007 findlay r orourke k 2007 power plenty trade war world economy second millennium princeton nj princeton university press crossref google scholar true economic historians often find caught two cultures cipolla 1992 cipolla c 1992 two cultures introduction economic history new york norton google scholar indeed something endangered species even especially prestigious economics departments primary training economic historians prevailing theories assumptions methods economics tools secondarily historians trained history departments deploy make sense past important recent work economic historians includes among many others pomeranz 2000 pomeranz k 2000 great divergence europe china making modern world princeton nj princeton university press crossref google scholar mokyr 2002 mokyr j 2002 gifts athena historical origins knowledge economy princeton nj princeton university press google scholar 2010 mokyr j 2010 enlightened economy economic history britain 17001850 new yale university press google scholar fogel 2004 fogel r 2004 escape hunger premature death 17002100 europe america third world new york cambridge university press crossref google scholar greif 2006 frieden 2007 frieden j 2007 global capitalism fall rise twentieth century new york norton google scholar allen 2009 allen r c 2009 british industrial revolution global perspective new york cambridge university press crossref google scholar many others conceptual level north et al 2009 north wallis j j weingast b 2009 violence social orders conceptual framework interpreting recorded human history new york cambridge university press crossref google scholar perhaps ambitious big picture contribution though decidedly eurocentric supplyside account 2 problem certain means big picture histories space precludes detailed review particular genre merely using history illustratively rhetorically demonstrate validity grand thesis presented claims profound general truth economic development throughout world history modern period grandiose interpretations violate fundamental historicist insight encapsulated irrefutable logic gerschenkrons 1962 gerschenkron 1962 economic backwardness historical perspective cambridge harvard university press google scholar classic essay pointed national economys pathway development could possibly ever essentially others first mover britains industrialisation altered conditions subsequent cases compete could learn earlier economic development occurred case fortiori true see also swain 2005 swain h 2005 big questions history london vintage books google scholar tilly 2006 tilly c 2006 history matters handbook comparative political analysis edited goodin r e tilly c 417437 new york oxford university press crossref google scholar 3 two exceptions least issue globalisation could aghion williamson 1998 aghion p williamson j g 1998 growth inequality globalization theory history policy new york cambridge university press google scholar chapter 3 frieden 2007 frieden j 2007 global capitalism fall rise twentieth century new york norton google scholar tosh 2008 tosh j 2008 history matters london palgrave crossref google scholar issues general call fellow historians engage policy debates taking pragmatic steps history policy initiative httpwwwhistoryandpolicyorg since 2002 organised number seminar events published 100 policy papers historians exemplifying ways historical research historical perspectives contemporary policy issues produce constructive practical new ideas policy field offer equally constructive admonitions efforts link historical scholarship policy concerns however remain exception 4 though parallel case seem exist geography corresponding consensus space matters example recent world development report economic geography world bank 2008 world bank 2008 world development report 2009 reshaping economic geography new york oxford university press crossref google scholar contained single advisor contributing author geographer see rigg et al 2009 rigg j bebbington gough k v bryceson f agergaard j fold n tacoli c 2009 world development report 2009 reshapes economic geography geographical reflections transactions institute british geographers 342 128136 crossref web science google scholar 5 elman elman 2001 elman c fendius elman 2001 bridges boundaries historians political scientists study international relations cambridge mit press google scholar similar exercise seeking connect historians political scientists studying international relations less emphasis implications policy see also mcdonald 1996 mcdonald 1996 historic turn human sciences ann arbor mi university michigan press crossref google scholar sewell 2005 sewell w jr 2005 logics history social theory social transformation chicago university chicago press crossref google scholar links historians sociology recently see lewis 2009 lewis 2009 international development perpetual present anthropological approaches rehistoricization policy european journal development research 211 3246 crossref google scholar 42 correctly argues lack historical perspective development agencies stems partly pressures development work activities remain powerfully understandably focused promise generating future change also part broader problem ideologically controlled managerialism 6 see also related terminology deployed pierson 2004 pierson p 2004 politics time history institutions social analysis princeton nj princeton university press crossref google scholar political scientists pierson 2005 pierson p 2005 study policy development journal policy history 171 3451 crossref google scholar provides useful discussion history policy development political scientists sociologists writing within field historical institutionalism thelen 1999 thelen k 1999 historical institutionalism comparative politics annual review political science 2 369404 crossref web science google scholar mahoney rueschemeyer 2003 mahoney j rueschemeyer 2003 comparative historical analysis social sciences new york cambridge university press crossref google scholar lange rueschemeyer 2005 lange rueschemeyer 2005 states development historical antecedents stagnation advance new york palgrave crossref google scholar mahoney thelen 2009 mahoney j thelen k 2009 explaining institutional change ambiguity agency power new york cambridge university press crossref google scholar also influential though less development policy debates 7 early calls economists approach include mccloskey 1976 mccloskey 1976 past useful economics journal economic literature 142 43461 web science google scholar galenson 1989 galenson w 1989 markets history economic studies past new york cambridge university press google scholar recently see hodgson 2001 hodgson g 2001 economics forgot history problem historical specificity social science new york taylor francis crossref google scholar 8 historicist position ie every time place unique thus understood terms view among others ajp taylor historicism see tosh 2002 tosh j 2002 pursuit history revised 3rd edn london longman google scholar 613 182185 9 grateful dietrich rueschemeyer personal communication stressing point see also macmillan 2009 macmillan 2009 dangerous games uses abuses history new york random house google scholar 10 issue see scott 1998 scott j 1998 seeing like state wellintentioned efforts improve human condition failed new yale university press google scholar 11 history modernisation theory see gilman 2003 gilman n 2003 mandarins future modernization theory cold war america baltimore md johns hopkins university press google scholar fascinating historical inquiry notion multiple modernities provided contributors daedalus 1998 2000 12 related argument see goody 2006 goody j 2006 theft history cambridge cambridge university press google scholar 13 indeed though rarely acknowledged development studies academic field emerged directly managerial administrative aspects colonial postcolonial experience see kothari 2006 kothari u 2006 radical history development studies london zed books google scholar duffield hewitt 2009 duffield hewitt v 2009 empire development colonialism past present woodbridge james currey google scholar 14 see also sangari vaid 1990 sangari k vaid 1990 recasting women essays indian colonial history new brunswick nj rutgers university press google scholar rai 2002 rai 2002 gender political economy development nationalism globalization cambridge polity press google scholar interactions colonialism gender relations 15 constitutes history invoked make sense present subject ongoing historical enquiry metahistory see extraordinary work burrow 2007 burrow j 2007 history histories epics chronicles romances inquiries herodotus thucydides twentieth century london penguin google scholar see also sewell 2005 sewell w jr 2005 logics history social theory social transformation chicago university chicago press crossref google scholar highly stimulating honest vigorous discussions involved achieving dialogue history social science 16 compressed time frame task undertaken porter et al 1991 porter allen b thompson g 1991 development practice paved good intentions london routledge google scholar mosse 2005 mosse 2005 cultivating development ethnography aid policy practice london pluto press google scholar insightful analyses development projects 17 broader point charles tilly frequently points eg tilly 2002 tilly c 2002 stories identities political change lanham md rowman littlefield publishers google scholar us proto historians inveterate storytellers every individual group organisation nation must compile coherent biographical narrative make sense others relation others narratives also called upon inform explain justify particular policy decisions going forward thus one useful sometimes controversial contributions historians make development policy help render narratives explicit necessary identify alternative narratives reasons particular narratives prevail others far trivial issues current events afghanistan kosovo sudan kenya attest basis especially pressing even deadly political dynamics numerous examples see black 2008 black j 2008 curse history london social affairs unit google scholar 18 many would also want credit pioneering work olson 1965 olson 1965 logic collective action public goods theory groups cambridge harvard university press google scholar inspiring revival interest institutions especially pertain management ubiquitous collective action problems provision public goods 19 cite among hundreds contributions see clague 1997 clague c 1997 institutions economic development baltimore johns hopkins university press google scholar rodrik 2003 rodrik 2003 search prosperity analytic narratives economic growth princeton nj princeton university press crossref google scholar easterly 2001 easterly w 2001 institutions resolve ethnic conflict economic development cultural change 494 687706 crossref web science google scholar 20 visible empirical manifestation general features good governance six widelycited measures institutional quality developed daniel kaufmann aart kraay collaborators world bank see recently kaufmann et al 2009 andrews 2008 andrews 2008 good governance agenda beyond indicators without theory oxford development studies 364 379407 taylor francis online google scholar provides powerful critique approach 21 crossnational timeseries datasets institutions economic performance begin around 1960 artefact selected un agencies began collect coordinate content relevant figures national governments also coincidentally time economists began supplant lawyers dominant figures public policy see markoff montecinos 1993 markoff j montecinos v 1993 ubiquitous rise economists journal public policy 191 3768 crossref google scholar 22 historians course would refrain deploying normative discourse good bad institutions use terms point simply reflects debate largely framed policy discussions 23 equally important paper sokoloff 1987 sokoloff k 1987 inventive activity early industrial america evidence patent records 17901846 journal economic history 484 813850 crossref google scholar though one less influential policy circles sought explain divergent paths patent laws evolved united states uk though law former ostensibly modelled latter markets social norms united states proved much open participation lower classes uk within united states open north south time generating different laws different groups patentees subsequent analysis showed true laws pertaining land suffrage education credit local government see discussion hoff 2003 hoff k 2003 paths institutional development view economic history world bank research observer 182 205226 crossref google scholar 24 see austin 2008 austin g 2008 reversal fortune thesis compression history perspectives african comparative economic history journal international development 208 9961027 crossref google scholar bayly 2008 extended substantive engagement papers methodological critique alternative empirical strategy explaining latin american case using comparative case study analysis see katz et al 2005 katz vom hau mahoney j 2005 explaining great reversal spanish america sociological methods research 334 539573 crossref google scholar 25 see acemoglu robinson 2006a acemoglu robinson j 2006a economic backwardness political perspective american political science review 1001 115131 crossref web science google scholar formalising gerschenkron 1962 gerschenkron 1962 economic backwardness historical perspective cambridge harvard university press google scholar acemoglu robinson 2006b acemoglu robinson j 2006b economic origins dictatorship democracy new york cambridge university press google scholar formalising moore 1966 moore b 1966 social origins democracy dictatorship boston beacon press google scholar 26 third strand work pursued different group historical economists argued differences development trajectories postcolonial countries function whether bequeathed common law english civil law roman legal systems former seemingly generating positive development outcomes latter see la porta et al 1997 la porta et al 2008 la porta r lopezdesilanes f shleifer 2008 economic consequences legal origins journal economic literature 462 285332 crossref web science google scholar glaeser shleifer 2002 view seems gained little policy traction even result empirically correct clear plausible supportable policy implications nunn 2009 nunn n 2009 importance history economic development annual review economics 1 6592 crossref web science google scholar provides interesting rather deferential review strand literature 27 diamond robinson 2010 diamond j robinson j 2010 natural experiments history cambridge harvard university press google scholar present range interesting historical studies development processes seeking exploit natural experiments accurately identify causal mechanisms principle clever welcome innovation though unfortunate volume premised introduction pejorative claim historians weak mathematics thus suspect making causal inferences 28 sense historians much common social theorists see tosh 2002 tosh j 2002 pursuit history revised 3rd edn london longman google scholar chapter 8 also explains work polanyi 1944 polanyi k 1944 great transformation boston beacon press google scholar moore 1966 moore b 1966 social origins democracy dictatorship boston beacon press google scholar bendix 1977 bendix r 1977 nationbuilding citizenship studies changing social order berkeley ca university california press google scholar skocpol 1979 skocpol 1979 states social revolutions new york cambridge university press crossref google scholar enduringly influential sociology political science 29 task political scientists call process tracing see george bennett 2005 george bennett 2005 case studies theory development social sciences cambridge mit press google scholar one could also argue task effect search plausible counterfactuals could might happened presence particular factor combination factors particular moment case study research methods particular see also gerring 2006 gerring j 2006 case study method principles practices new york cambridge university press crossref google scholar 30 changing basis causal claims course fascinating subject historical enquiry see kern 2006 kern 2006 cultural history causality princeton nj princeton university press google scholar 31 point see goldstone 1998 goldstone j 1998 initial conditions general laws path dependence explanation historical sociology american journal sociology 1043 829845 crossref web science google scholar mahoney 2000 mahoney j 2000 strategies causal inference smalln analysis sociological methods research 284 387424 crossref web science google scholar trachtenberg 2006 trachtenberg 2006 craft international history guide method princeton nj princeton university press google scholar mahoney et al 2009 mahoney j thelen k 2009 explaining institutional change ambiguity agency power new york cambridge university press crossref google scholar provide comprehensive overview 32 see rao walton 2004 rao v walton 2004 culture public action relationality equality agency development culture public action edited rao v walton 336 palo alto ca stanford university press crossref google scholar point 33 role agricultural experts shaping agrarian doctrines development british colonialism see masterful analysis hodge 2007 hodge j 2007 triumph expert agrarian doctrines development legacies british colonialism athens oh ohio university press google scholar 34 considerations go far beyond ubiquitous concept path dependence term originally coined economic historian brian arthur refer manner certain technological choices famous qwerty typewriter persisted long initial efficiency superiority surpassed manner become engrained education systems everyday practices see david 1985 david p 1985 clio economics qwerty american economic review 752 332337 web science google scholar references arthur therein putnam 1993 putnam r 1993 making democracy work civic traditions modern italy princeton nj princeton university press google scholar others popularised extension idea institutional political analysis development trajectories step far many historians social scientists see example tarrow 1996 tarrow 1996 making social science work across space time critical reflection robert putnams making democracy work american political science review 902 389397 crossref web science google scholar 35 tendency economists search monocausal explanations consequence quest perfect econometric identification result actually denying possibility multiple causes however far little public acknowledgement virtually findings econometric studies subject 36 economists importantly rely linear explanations think inherently right nonlinear econometrics much harder requires vastly data usually available especially development research work acemoglu et al 2001 acemoglu johnson robinson j 2001 colonial origins comparative development empirical investigation american economic review 915 13691402 crossref web science google scholar 2002 acemoglu johnson robinson j 2002 reversal fortune geography institutions making world income distribution quarterly journal economics 1174 123194 crossref web science google scholar linear explanation per se much known discontinuity identification substantial break past used explain emergence shifting trajectory 37 consider example research brown 2006 brown c l 2006 moral capital foundations british abolitionism chapel hill nc university north carolina press google scholar hochschild 2006 hochschild 2006 bury chains prophets rebels fight free empires slaves new york houghton mifflin company google scholar efforts social reformers end slavery british empire early nineteenth century shows persistent innovative campaigning using techniques endure day eventually despite decades failure rejection hostility gave way relatively rapid global reform certain development efforts today example postconflict reconstruction jcurve path like would know hard name single development intervention clear empirical evidence known impact trajectory time say development fraternity conspicuously ignorant processes underlying even celebrated interventions little knowledge impacts influenced scale different types context point see woolcock 2009 woolcock 2009 toward plurality methods project evaluation contextualized approach understanding impact trajectories efficacy journal development effectiveness 11 114 taylor francis online web science google scholar 38 pressures solidly reinforced campaigns millennium development goals manifest calls scale replicate putatively successful interventions 39 see also clemens 2004 historical perspective feasibility attaining education millennium development goal 40 central thesis skocpol 1979 skocpol 1979 states social revolutions new york cambridge university press crossref google scholar moore 1966 moore b 1966 social origins democracy dictatorship boston beacon press google scholar see also joseph schumpeters 1975 1942 schumpeter j 1975 capitalism socialism democracy new york harper 1942crossref google scholar 82 oftcited description economic growth process creative destruction walter lippmanns 1982 1929 lippmann w 1982 1929 preface morals new brunswick nj transaction publishers google scholar 51 arguments regarding acids modernity 41 go without saying point arguments raised article whole interpreted hostility part quantitative analysis far claim rather quantitative analysis often assumes air sophistication purely quantitative product serious engagement contextual realities idiosyncrasies b inherently objective mode inquiry shown unintended political consequences 42 also see instance roodhouse 2007 world war ii national emergency responses severe shortages especially lessons politically culturally sell rationing democratic populace get compliance enforcement 43 see erickson 2005a erickson l 2005a marital economy perspective marital economy scandinavia britain 14001900 edited agren erickson l 320 london ashgate google scholar 2005b erickson l 2005b coverture capitalism history workshop journal 591 116 crossref google scholar 44 sense like corruption critique aid except critique culturally ethnocentric discriminating least recognise albeit crudely negatively historicallyformed characteristics aidreceiving nation community need respected appropriate resources brought ways see fit purposes relatively independently goals external agency bringingin resources