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.

Why is Africa so poor? Economic historian Nathan Nunn explores the long-term effects of Africa's slave trades.

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.