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Black man's burden, white man's welfare: control, devolution and development in the British Empire, 1880–1914

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 July 2009

OLIVIER ACCOMINOTTI ,
MARC FLANDREAU ,
RIAD REZZIK  and
FRÉDÉRIC ZUMER
OLIVIER ACCOMINOTTI
Affiliation:
Sciences Po Paris and University of California at Berkeley, olivier.accominotti@sciences.po.org
MARC FLANDREAU
Affiliation:
The Graduate Institute of International Studies and Development, Geneva and CEPR, London, marc.flandreau@graduateinstitute.ch
RIAD REZZIK
Affiliation:
University of Paris II, rezzik@gmail.com
FRÉDÉRIC ZUMER
Affiliation:
University of Paris II, zumzum1@free.fr
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Abstract

This article organizes an economic analysis of the effects of colonial rule on capital market access and development. Our insights provide an interpretation of institutional variance and growth performance across British colonies. We emphasize the degree of coercion available to British authorities in explaining alternative set-ups. White colonies, with a credible exit option, managed to secure a better deal than those where non-whites predominated, for which we find evidence of welfare losses.

Type
Research Article
Information
European Review of Economic History , Volume 14 , Issue 1 , April 2010 , pp. 47 - 70
Copyright
Copyright © European Historical Economics Society 2009

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