LSE-Stanford Conference on Long Range Development in Latin America - Day 1

(See Day Two schedule here.)

Organizers: Jean-Paul Faguet (London School of Economics) and Alberto Diaz-Cayeros (Stanford)

A multi-disciplinary conference probing the institutional, political and economic drivers of long-run development patterns in Latin America and beyond.

Political economy research on Latin America is on the verge of a major breakthrough, based on deep collaborations between historians, political scientists, economists and scientists further afield.  The research presented features new empirical approaches, exploiting novel datasets, subnational variation, and mixed methods in ways that promise to shed light on some of the most complex social issues of our time. With this event we inaugurate a regular series that will alternate between Stanford, the LSE, and Universidad de los Andes.

May 11

8:30–9:15: Welcome and introductions, with light refreshments

9:15–10:45 Where do Institutions Come From?

Where Does Democracy Thrive: Climate, Technology, and the Evolution of Political and Economic Institutions- Stephen Haber (Stanford), Jordan Horrillo and Roy Elis

Islam, Trade, and City Growth before the 19th Century: Comparative Urbanization in Europe, the Middle East, and Central Asia- Lisa Blaydes (Stanford) & Christopher Paik (NYU)

Critical Junctures: Independence Movements and Democracy in Africa- Omar Garcia Ponce (UC-Davis)

Discussant: Carles Boix (Princeton)

10:45–11:00: Coffee Break

11:00–12:30 Political Instability & State Capacity

Trading for Peace- Saumitra Jha (Stanford)

The Legacy of War Dynamics on Fiscal Capacity: Evidence from 19th Century Mexico- Luz Marina Arias (CIDE)

Discussant: TBD

12:30–1:30 Lunch Speaker

Rodolfo Acuña Soto- Climate, Drought, and Epidemics

1:30–3:00 Clientelism, Patronage and Cooptation

The Costs of Patronage: Evidence from the British Empire- Guo Xu (LSE)

Threat of Revolution, Peasant Movements and Redistribution: The Colombian Case 1957-1985- Maria del Pilar Lopez-Uribe (LSE)

The Vicious Circle of Clientelism and State Weakness- Leopoldo Fergusson (U. de los Andes)

Discussant: Joana Naritomi (LSE)

3:00–3:15 Coffee Break

3:15–4:45 Human and “Social” Capital

Civil War, State Consolidation, and the Spread of Mass Education- Agustina Paglayan (Stanford)

Education and Long-Term Social Mobility in Benin- Leonard Wantchekon (Princeton)

Colonial Alliances, Local Governance and Development: Evidence from Tlaxcala, Mexico-

Edgar Franco (Stanford)

Discussant: Marcella Alsan (Stanford)

4:45–6:15 Ethnicity and Development

Tordesillas, Slavery and the Origins of Brazilian Inequality- Felipe Valencia Caicedo (Bonn) *Joint with Thomas Fujiwara and Humberto Laudares

Conquered but not Vanquished: Complementarities and Indigenous Entrepreneurs in the Shadow of Violence- Alberto Díaz-Cayeros & Saumitra Jha

Elite Conflict, Demographic Collapse, and the Transition to Direct Rule: Evidence from Colonial Mexico- Francisco Garfias (UCSD) & Emily Sellars (Texas A&M University)

Discussant: Melissa Dell (Harvard)