The Culture Transplant: How Migrants Make the Economies They Move To a Lot Like the Ones They Left

The Culture Transplant, by Garett Jones, documents the cultural foundations of cross-country income differences, showing that immigrants import cultural attitudes from their homelands that persist for decades, and likely for centuries, in their new national homes. This book offers a compelling refutation of the unspoken consensus that a nation's economic and political institutions won't be changed by immigration, as the majority of the world's technological innovations come from just a handful of nations.

Format: Hardback
Length: 228 pages
Publication date: 15 November 2022
Publisher: Stanford University Press

Over the past two decades, economists have utilized large datasets and advanced computing power to uncover the drivers of national prosperity. Their statistical findings consistently highlight the significant role of culture in fostering the wealth of nations. In his book, "The Culture Transplant," Garrett Jones delves into the cultural underpinnings of cross-country income disparities, demonstrating that immigrants bring cultural attitudes from their homelands, such as a propensity for saving, trust, and government involvement, which endure for decades, if not centuries, in their new national homes. The notion of complete assimilation within a generation or two is debunked, as Jones reports. Furthermore, the cultural traits migrants bring to their new homes have lasting impacts on a nation's economic potential.

This book is based on mainstream, well-reviewed academic research that has yet to gain widespread public awareness. It challenges the prevailing belief that immigration can have no significant impact on a nation's economic and political institutions. Jones argues that migration policy must consider the potential for migration to profoundly alter a nation's economic and political structures. Given that most of the world's technological innovations originate from a select few nations, Jones concludes that the entire world has a stake in determining whether migration policy will enhance or hinder the quality of government, ultimately influencing the quality of scientific breakthroughs in these innovation powerhouses.

Weight: 510g
Dimension: 161 x 238 x 24 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781503632943