Why do some countries become rich, while others remain impoverished? It’s a question that inspired three academics awarded this year’s Nobel prize in economics—Daron Acemoglu and Simon Johnson of MIT, and James Robinson of the University of Chicago. We speak to the three laureates about their seminal work on the economic legacy of colonialism, why they think institutions such as private property rights and democracy deliver long-term prosperity, and what they make of the resurgence of authoritarianism.

Hosts: Alice Fulwood, Mike Bird and Tom Lee-Devlin. Guests: Daron Acemoglu of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Simon Johnson of the MIT Sloan School of Management; James Robinson of The Pearson Institute for the Study and Resolution of Global Conflicts at the University of Chicago; and The Economist’s Gavin Jackson.

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