Pre-modern growth: when? Flashcards
(24 cards)
What was China’s status in terms of GDP per capita at the turn of the first millennium?
China was the world leader in terms of GDP per capita
This indicates that China was economically advanced compared to other nations at that time.
What happened to China’s economy by the 19th century?
China was considerably behind Northwestern Europe in terms of GDP per capita.
When did Japan begin to catch up with China and Europe?
Japan began to catch up in the 18th century.
In which century did Japan overtake China in GDP per capita?
Japan overtook China in the 18th century.
According to Pomeranz (2000), what allowed Western Europe to break through resource constraints?
Unexpected discontinuities in the 19th century.
What does the revisionist view emphasize regarding the divergence of economies?
Resource advantages and constraints, negative colonial rule, and European trade networks.
What type of wage comparisons do revisionists and traditionalists focus on?
Revisionists look at relative grain wages; traditionalists look at silver wages.
What was the finding of Broadberry and Gupta (2006) regarding the great divergence?
The great divergence occurred sometime in the 18th century.
What do traditionalists argue regarding the comparison of grain wages?
We should consider ‘silver wages’ not ‘grain wages’.
What are the two basket options calculated by Allen (2011) for comparative studies?
- European Respectability Basket (ERB)
- Bare Bones Basket (BBB)
What did Allen find regarding welfare ratios?
Divergence will be greater in the European Respectability Basket (ERB) than in the Bare Bones Basket (BBB).
What was the living condition of most families globally between 1400-1900 according to Malthus?
Most families were barely able to survive.
What does the grain wage structure reveal about China?
China was not behind in terms of agriculture.
What did silver wages indicate about China’s economic position?
China fell behind in terms of manufacturing and services.
What issues exist with real wage evidence?
- Family size differences across countries
- Gender of workers
- Unskilled labor considerations
What did Maddison and Broadberry attempt to calculate using national accounting methods?
Income by sector, aggregated to the whole economy.
What was Maddison’s finding regarding income levels in China and Western Europe?
Income was over three times higher in China than in Western Europe in 400.
When did Western Europe overtake China in income levels?
Western Europe overtook China by 1500.
What was the status of China during the Song dynasty?
China was rich during the Song dynasty.
What caused China to stagnate from the 14th century?
Hitting Malthusian constraints.
What new data suggests about divergences within Europe?
There were several ‘little divergences’ in Europe.
What was the status of Southern Europe in 1400?
Southern Europe was ahead but fell behind by 1600.
When was the Netherlands ahead, and what happened by 1700?
The Netherlands was ahead by 1600 but fell behind by 1700.
What was Britain’s economic status around 1700?
Britain was ahead and remained so until the 20th century.
