Colonization remains a key determinant of today’s economic institutions, including the rule of law and property rights (Banerjee and Iyer 2005; Levine et al. 2021; La Porta et al. 1998; Bjornskov and Rode 2020). Consequently, the legacy of European colonization influences many aspects of modern-day economic freedom, particularly income levels. The literature identifies multiple mechanisms for the effect. Some highlight the transmission of institutions brought by Europe’s colonizers, while others emphasize human capital and education (e.g. Easterly and Levine 2016). More info https://insurancebyheroes.com/colonial-life-insurance-review-2025-rates-plans/
To address this question, I investigate the effects of colonial settlement on current levels of economic freedom. I find that, at independence, colonies inherit between 0.691 and 1.827 points for each point of their colonizer’s average economic freedom score (column 1). This relationship strengthens when basic controls are added, such as continent dummies and absolute latitude, and is robust to a variety of omitted variable concerns.
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Despite their relative economic power, European colonizers often faced resistance from diverse Indigenous Peoples and their non-Indigenous comrades. Efforts to subdue rebellion were often successful, but the nature of that resistance remained varied. Some enslaved peoples fought against exploitation by the laboring class, while others formed cross-racial alliances to resist oppressive regimes.
The legacy of colonial exploitation continues to shape modern-day policies and practices that undermine Indigenous self-determination, as evidenced by the failures of global health programs like PEPFAR to effectively address HIV in sub-Saharan Africa (Whyte 2018b). Developing a deeper understanding of the intersections between settler colonialism and conventional conservation generates pathways toward healing Indigenous landscapes and lifeways.
