I think you would be interested in reading this book about nations and their institutions: http://whynationsfail.com/ http://whynationsfail.com/ "Daron Acemogl

I think you would be interested in reading this book about nations and their institutions: http://whynationsfail.com/ http://whynationsfail.com/ "Daron Acemoglu and James Robinson conclusively show that it is man-made political and economic institutions that underlie economic success (or the lack of it)." A good review of the book: http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/2012/jun/07/what-makes-countries-rich-or-poor/?pagination=false http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/2012/jun/07/what-ma...