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The Long Shadow of the Past: Political Economy of Regional Inequality in Colombia

Author

Listed:
  • Leopoldo Fergusson
  • Carlos Molina
  • James A. Robinson
  • Juan F. Vargas

Abstract

We study the nature of regional inequality in Colombia over the past 200 years. The main empirical fact is that regional inequality has been highly persistent despite the large changes that have taken place and the modernization of the society. We show that regional inequality is highly correlated with significant within-country differences in economic and political institutions, which are themselves highly persistent over the same period. We propose a tentative political economy theory of why the spatial distribution of institutions and economic outcomes has been so persistent over time.

Suggested Citation

  • Leopoldo Fergusson & Carlos Molina & James A. Robinson & Juan F. Vargas, 2017. "The Long Shadow of the Past: Political Economy of Regional Inequality in Colombia," Documentos CEDE 15445, Universidad de los Andes, Facultad de Economía, CEDE.
    • Handle: RePEc:col:000089:015445
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Ricardo Salas & Pablo Sanabria-Pulido & Catalina Rodríguez & Pilar Torres, 2022. "Mérito, representatividad, y asimetrías en nombramientos de altos funcionarios públicos en Colombia 1991-2021," Documentos de trabajo 20768, Escuela de Gobierno - Universidad de los Andes.
    2. Karina Acosta & Hengyu Gu, 2022. "Locked up? The development and internal migration nexus in Colombia," Documentos de Trabajo Sobre Economía Regional y Urbana 19931, Banco de la República, Economía Regional.
    3. Juan Pablo Castilla, 2020. "To Kill a Black Swan: The Credibility Revolution at CEDE, 2000-2018," Documentos CEDE 18366, Universidad de los Andes, Facultad de Economía, CEDE.
    4. Karina Acosta & Hengyu Gu, 2024. "Reexamining a classical question: Does development push migration?," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 73(4), pages 2091-2115, December.
    5. Leopoldo Fergusson, 2019. "Who wants violence? The political economy of conflict and state building in Colombia," Revista Cuadernos de Economia, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, FCE, CID, vol. 38(78), pages 671-700, November.
    6. Fergusson, Leopoldo & Robinson, James A. & Torres, Santiago, 2023. "The interaction of economic and political inequality in Latin America," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 122083, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    7. Julio A. Berdegué & Tatiana Hiller & Juan Mauricio Ramírez & Santiago Satizábal & Isidro Soloaga & Juan Soto & Miguel Uribe & Olga Vargas, 2019. "Delineating functional territories from outer space," Latin American Economic Review, Springer;Centro de Investigaciòn y Docencia Económica (CIDE), vol. 28(1), pages 1-24, December.
    8. Cardoso, Guilherme & Simonato, Thiago & Freire, Debora & Domingues, Edson, 2020. "Easing the Effects of Austerity with Reforms: A regional CGE experiment on Brazilian labor productivity," Conference papers 333186, Purdue University, Center for Global Trade Analysis, Global Trade Analysis Project.
    9. Leonardo Bonilla-Mejía & Iván Higuera-Mendieta, 2017. "Political Alignment in the Time of Weak Parties: Electoral Advantages and Subnational Transfers in Colombia," Documentos de Trabajo Sobre Economía Regional y Urbana 15746, Banco de la República, Economía Regional.
    10. Leopoldo Fergusson & Tatiana Hiller & Ana Maria Ibañez, 2020. "Growth and inclusion trajectories of Colombian functional territories," Sobre México. Revista de Economía, Sobre México. Temas en economía, vol. 1(1), pages 79-125.
    11. Pulido-Velásquez, Manuel & Earnhart, Dietrich, 2024. "The effects of illegal armed groups on municipal expenditures in Colombia," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 182(C).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Regional Inequality; Political Institutions; Economic Institutions.;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D31 - Microeconomics - - Distribution - - - Personal Income and Wealth Distribution
    • D72 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Political Processes: Rent-seeking, Lobbying, Elections, Legislatures, and Voting Behavior
    • D73 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Bureaucracy; Administrative Processes in Public Organizations; Corruption
    • D78 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Positive Analysis of Policy Formulation and Implementation

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