THE BIG PICTURE - HOW (AND WHEN AND WHY) THE WEST GREW RICH

This paper surveys the analysis of Nathan Rosenberg and L.E. Birdzell, Jr. in How the West Grew Rich. They deal with two major questions: (1) the explanation of the original onset of economic growth in the Western world; (2) the circumstances that permitted this economic growth to continue, without decline or stagnation, for several centuries. Their focus on the critical role of the relationship between economic and political spheres, particularly the importance of political decentralization and individual freedoms, is examined. Also discussed is the attention given to the impact of the expansion of trade and to the causes and consequences of the scientific and technological changes of the modern era. The arguments of Rosenberg and Birdzell are briefly compared and contrasted with those of other economic historians who have dealt with similar questions.