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There's a good book that covers this exact topic in much more depth. It's called "False Economy: A Surprising Economic History of the Word" by Alan Beattie. If
by kiddo 17y ago
There's a good book that covers this exact topic in much more depth. It's called "False Economy: A Surprising Economic History of the Word" by Alan Beattie. If I remember correctly, he focuses on how Argentinian land was owned by wealthy elites, satisfied with their wealth. In the US, small parcels of land were handed out to poorer individuals. Thus, the US held a greater attraction for immigrants. In the US immigrants also migrated inland quickly, leaving room in the cities for more immigrants to arrive.
Some of the book is available online through google books.
- mediaman 17y agoAlong the lines of this thesis, Hernando de Soto wrote The Mystery of Capital which outlines this policy of establishing property rights among the lower and middle classes rather than just the rich as a necessary policy to stimulate growth, as property rights enable the holders to make bigger investments in capital. He argues that one reason South Korea did so well after the war was that the US adopted enlightened economic policies with regards to property rights.