Introduction
Institutions are the laws or structures that control how people are allowed to act. But what effect do bad, or 'extractive', institutions have on economic growth? James Robinson explains the research he did to find out.
This video is part of our schools series 'Why isn’t the whole world developed?', which draws on economic history to understand the effect of colonisation and imperial interventions. The project is delivered by Discover Economics and the CAGE Research Centre.
Who is the resource aimed at?
Suitable for key stage 4 and key stage 5 students (14 to 18 year olds)
How can the resource be used?
This video can be used as a standalone resource, or with the teaching materials below to form a full lesson.
How does the resource link to the curriculum?
This week's video can be used to support Key Stage 3, 4 and 5 History and Geography lessons. In terms of sequencing, this video could be used at the end of a scheme of lessons on the British Empire or wider European colonialism.
With the topic, students could be explicitly taught the distinction between parts of the empire with dominion status and a colony. This could then be revised when studying the end of Empire to make distinctions between those parts of the empire given independence much earlier in the 1926 Balfour Declaration and those part of the later post-World War Two process of decolonisation.
How long will the activity take?
Depending on how many of the resources you use, you can make this activity take up more or less time. Take a look at the suggested learning activities below.