University of Gothenburg
Map of the roads in Rome
  2. School of Business, Economics and Law
  3. Department of Economics
  4. Our research
  5. Research areas
  6. Historical economics

Historical economics

Historical economics applies economic theory and econometric methods to the study of economic history. The research area has expanded internationally in recent years, partly as a consequence of the rapidly increasing amount of digitized historical maps and archival records, but also in response to a stronger focus in economics on the deep roots of institutional and economic development.

Research in historical economics at the Department of Economics is primarily quantitative and includes topics on long-run cultural and institutional persistence, the economics of crime in a historical context, the impact of Christian missions on female gender norms in Africa, effects of historical infrastructure investments in roads and railways, the introduction of cadastral reforms and their association with economic growth, historical climate change and political stability, etc. 

Research includes both micro- and macro-level analyses, often exploiting historical natural experiments. 

News – 15 November 2022
Roman roads laid the foundation for modern-day prosperity
News – 24 August 2021
The world's first police force was a success
Deterred crime and reduced violent crimes significantly.

Publications

D’Arcy, M., M. Nistotskaya, O. Olsson (2024) “Cadasters and Economic Growth: A Long-Run Cross-Country Panel” (2024) forthcoming Journal of Political Economy.

Mayoral, L. and O. Olsson (2024) “Floods, Droughts and Environmental Circumscription in Early State Development: The Case of Ancient Egypt”, forthcoming in Journal of Economic Growth.

Bindler, A. and R. Hjalmarsson (2024) “The Impact of the First Professional Police Forces on Crime”, Journal of the European Economic Association. Also CEPR Discussion Paper DP14068.

Bindler, A. and R. Hjalmarsson (2020) “The Persistence of the Criminal Justice Gender Gap: Evidence from 200 Years of Judicial Decisions”, Journal of Law and Economics, 63(2): 297-339. Also CEPR Discussion Paper DP 14067

Fors, H. C., Isaksson, A. S., & Lindskog, A. (2023). Changing local customs: The long run impacts of Christian missions on female genital cutting in Africa. Journal of Development Economics, 103180.

Projects

  • Economic Behavior in History (Martinsson, Olsson)
  • Cadasters and Economic Development (Nistotskaya, Olsson)
  • Digitization of Historical Schooling Records in Sweden (Lindahl, Karlsson, Kjellson)
  • London Police in 19th century (Hjalmarsson, Bindler)

 

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