推翻Ashraf and Galor(2013):欧亚大陆优势,而不是“基因多样性”
(2016-04-14 10:53:11)分类: 我自己的工作 |
推翻Ashraf and
Galor(2013)在美国经济学评论(AER)的文章的统计结论和理论基础
本人最近最吃力不讨好的文章,彻底推翻Ashraf and
Galor(2013)在美国经济学评论(AER)2013年第一期的开篇文章的结论和理论基础。文章发表在Historical
Social Research 41(1),2016.
很多时候,坏的研究弄出来哗众取宠或者是令人惊叹的结论,发在好杂志上,而且获得媒体大量报道。但是,推翻它们的结论的文章却发不到好杂志上,而且几乎没有媒体愿意报道。这也是一种悲哀吧。【事实上,没有经济学杂志愿意发表这一篇文章,我猜其中的一个原因是Galor也算是经济学界的大咖,杂志都不敢得罪吧。】
不要膜拜经济学家,他们的傲慢背后有时是自大的无知。
这篇文章也算是本人对Jared
Diamond的致敬之一。我文章中的核心变量(Eurasia
Advantage)直接来之Diamond(1997)。而文章中的统计结果则更加系统和强有力地证明,Diamond
(1997)的Guns, Germs, and Steel
是一部多么伟大的作品,比多少个诺贝尔经济学奖都牛。
文章摘要
Ashraf and Galor (2012)
advanced the bold thesis that genetic diversity within different
human populations has been a foundational determinant of long-run
economic development. We show that their results are not robust after
controlling for a key missing variable –the Eurasia dummy. After controlling for the
Eurasia dummy, all indicators
of genetic
diversity lose statistical significance in regressions with
indicators of economic development as dependent variables.
Ashraf and Galor's statistical results merely “reflect” – literally – Eurasia’s
unique advantage in supporting economic development that was mostly based on
settled agriculture until about AD1500.
Eurasia
Advantage, Jared Diamond, genetic diversity, economic
development.
文章的全文和详细的附录都可以在我的academia.edu网页上下载
https://fudan.academia.edu/ShipingTang
过一两天,应该可以在www.ssrn.com网站上下载。