Why Nations Fail

Why Nations Fail is a book by Daron Acemoglu; James A. Robinson, published in 2012. This Waffle podcast explores the book across 6 episodes.

How do political power and economic institutions explain why neighboring populations become vastly unequal—and why elites may resist broader prosperity? How do small institutional differences and historical turning points expand economic opportunity in some societies while allowing elites to close it off in others? How did England’s struggle against absolutism create the political constraints, state capacity, and opportunities for newcomers that enabled industrialization? Why do some institutions restrain powerful elites while others reproduce exploitation—even after independence, elections, or civil war? What do Botswana’s inclusive transition and China’s market reforms reveal about escaping poverty—and the limits of growth without political pluralism? Why can sensible development reforms fail, and how can organized citizens, broad coalitions, and independent media help change the institutions that block them?

These episodes are AI-generated adaptations grounded in the book. Listen to the first episode here and continue the series in the Waffle app.