摘要：This research suggests that the distribution of land within and across countries
affected the nature of the transition from an agrarian to an industrial economy
generating diverging growth patterns across countries. Land abundance, which
was beneficial in early stages of development, generated in later stages a hurdle
for human capital accumulation and economic growth among countries in which
land ownership was unequally distributed. The qualitative change in the role of
land in the process of industrialization affected the transition to modern growth
and has brought about changes in the ranking of countries in the world income
distribution. Some land abundant countries that were associated with the club
of the rich economies in the pre-industrial revolution era and were marked by an
unequal distribution of land, were overtaken in the process of industrialization
by land scarce countries and were dominated by other land abundant economies
in which land distribution was rather equal. The theory focuses on the economic
incentives that led landowners to resist growth enhancing educational expenditure.
The basic premise of this research, regarding the negative effect of land inequality
on public expenditure on education is supported empirically based on cross-state
data from the High School Movement in the first half of the 20th century in the
US.
关键词：Land Inequality, development, human capital accumulation, growth
