

The historical roots of inequality  - cwan
http://www.voxeu.org/index.php?q=node/5788

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pyrhho
Slightly off topic but, I thoroughly enjoyed Jared Diamond's Gun's Germs and
Steel[1]. Though his argument has some weaknesses, it makes an interesting
case for why racial inequalities exist in the fashion that they do.

[1] <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guns,_Germs,_and_Steel>

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jdp23
It's a great read, although as you say there are plenty of weaknesses. One of
the theories this paper looks at is the impact on historical land distribution
inequalities to the situation today, and that feels like a very Diamondesque
argument.

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jdp23
interesting analysis, arguing that of three ways that inequality rooted in
slavery continues to have impact, it's the "human capital" impact of
educational differences that has the primary impact today.

the full paper is at <http://www.rcfea.org/RePEc/pdf/wp26_10.pdf>

