The U.S. is the greatest, best country God has ever given man on the face of the earth
~ Sean Hannity
I tend to think Hannity is suffering from more than a little patriotism bias but there is no doubting it – America is teh winz.
Reihan Salam asks why
One could argue that the U.S. out-performs because of our natural resource endowments, but that seems unlikely; Norway and Nigeria are both rich in hydrocarbons, and they’re at opposite ends of the HDI spectrum. It could be that high quality of our public institutions, but of course many states in northern Europe outdo us on that front, as does Singapore. I have my pet theories as to why the U.S. out-performs, but I’ll let you guys think about this one.
I am going to go pretty conventional on this one and say a combination of three big factors
- The Common Law
- Massive Immigration
- The Great Scientific Exodus during WWII
You’ll notice that four of the top five countries in the Human Development Index have the Common Law and the top, Norway, is a awash in oil. Without the petro-kronors they probably wouldn’t be so hot.
You’ll also notice that 3 of the top 4, again with Norway the odd man out, are immigrant nations. The founder effect here should be clear.
The bonus from the great exodus is definitely waning. Most of our hey-day German and Jewish scientists are dying off, but its still given us a boost that lingers to this day. There is no fundamental reason why the US should be the center of the scientific world but for a time it was the only place in the world safe for many scientists.
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Monday ~ November 8th, 2010 at 10:07 pm
OGT
The WWII scientific exodus theory is nonsense. The US had a better standard of living since the early 1800′s. The primary reason being cultivatable land to population ratios.
As to the larger immigration issue may have some marginal effect, but I am not sure how significant the difference between 2 and 6 is per se. Of course, one can not make any causal claim between high and low HDI countries, the reason no one moves to Nigeria is because it is not good there. Not the other way around.
Monday ~ November 8th, 2010 at 11:06 pm
John
This seems completely post hoc.
Common Law correlates awfully strongly with being an integral part of the British Empire, who were the last people to rule the world before us. Shocker, ultimate political power makes it easier to build a strong society.
Also, of course, when you adjust for income inequality only Australia hangs in there at the top 5.
Monday ~ November 8th, 2010 at 11:32 pm
pjcamp
“America is teh winz”
By what measure, exactly?
Tuesday ~ November 9th, 2010 at 12:35 am
jazzbumpa
This is American Exceptionalism bias.
I’ll say that we had our time of greatness – starting post WW II to an end date that can’t be pin-pointed since we are fading slowly, like an old soldier, but I believe is now past tense.
My children – born in the early 70′s – will never have the quality of life as adults that I did. Two income families have become a necessity.
I’ll say we were great because we had a strong, vibrant, and upwardly mobile middle class – the old American dream, characterized by relative equality in income and wealth distribution. Well, that is gone – killed by Reaganomics, tax policies, union busting, exporting manufacturing jobs, and the gutting of regulations. We are now at a banana republic level of wealth disparity.
Rule of law had a lot to do with it, too. But we are losing that, as well. Being rich can preclude prosecution for even an egregious crime.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/11/08/martin-erzinger-morgan-stanley-hit-and-run-_n_780294.html
I don’t think I’d get that delicate treatment from a prosecutor.
And the Citizens United decision gave muti-national corporations essentially legal status equal to U.S. citizens. And they just bought themselves an election.
Where we go from here is medieval serfdom – not as Hayek imagined, but under the iron fists of multi-national corporations.
Hannity is a tool and a liar. But I, for one, welcome our new corporate overlords.
JzB
Tuesday ~ November 9th, 2010 at 10:51 am
Johnnie Linn
Karl:
You don’t specify why the common law is a contributing factor to greatness but I would agree that it is, and the primary reason is that common law cases deal with real problems on the ground rather than hypothetical ones thought up by someone who writes a code.
Allied with the common law is that an issue has to be a real case or controversy to be adjudicated. In regard whether the federal government can compel people to buy health insurance, at least three cases have already arisen in which trial courts have ruled on this issue. But no one has yet been actually compelled to buy health insurance, because that part of the statute hasn’t kicked in yet. I hope that any final rulings on these cases don’t affect the rights of people who wait until that part of the statute has kicked in and they sue when they are affected by it.
Tuesday ~ November 9th, 2010 at 11:42 am
jazzbumpa
This pretty much sums it up.
http://www.progressiveliving.org/plutocracy_defined.htm
We’re screwed.
JzB
Tuesday ~ November 9th, 2010 at 12:02 pm
Johnnie Linn
Clause 39 (or 29) of the Magna Carta, that established the right of due process in criminal cases, was forced upon the King, not by a peasant uprising, but by the plutocratic barons whom you say screw things up.
Tuesday ~ November 9th, 2010 at 1:05 pm
Lord
Rather than immigration per se, it is why there is immigration, a lower overall population density that offers better incomes to workers that attract immigration. One shouldn’t expect more open immigration to do much for India or China, though the birth restrictions in China will make it more attractive in the future.
Wednesday ~ November 10th, 2010 at 12:05 am
Andrew Heaney
Slave labor? Literally…
Yea, that might have helped kick things off.
Wednesday ~ November 10th, 2010 at 3:43 am
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Wednesday ~ November 10th, 2010 at 4:25 am
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Wednesday ~ November 10th, 2010 at 5:48 am
Silicon Valley Chip
“Most of our hey-day German and Jewish scientists…”
Are you out of your fucking bigoted mind saying this or are you just clueless, Austrian psychopathic, poindexter with a Eurofetish?
Thursday ~ November 11th, 2010 at 1:14 pm
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Thursday ~ November 11th, 2010 at 2:07 pm
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Friday ~ November 12th, 2010 at 2:26 am
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Friday ~ November 12th, 2010 at 1:28 pm
Erlend
I don’t think common law is a factor at all [as a lawyer educated in Europe and the U.S. I’d say the difference is very much overstated. However, for most purposes related to economic growth, Norway could probably count as a common law country). If one agrees that the HDI index is a useful starting point, an analysis would have to build on a sample of several years. For instance, last year only two of the top ten were common law countries. Five were island states (less focus on military spending).
In the 2008 index three were common law countries. Didn’t bother checking further back.
“Greatness” in so far as it is not measured by HDI indexes (in which US would rank below many) probably has many reasons, not least data gathering measures. But the most relevant cause is probably huge, well functioning internal market with minimal cross-boarder transaction costs.
Friday ~ November 12th, 2010 at 8:07 pm
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Saturday ~ November 13th, 2010 at 8:06 am
ashokmeda
Norway & Nigeria….., Poles Apart and a fantastic comparitive-reality, of how much the country’s governance and political willingness can determine the destiny of the land, economy and dependant population.
Obviously, US will continue in its thirst for knowledge-immigrants, come what may. There lies its wealth.
Saturday ~ November 13th, 2010 at 3:12 pm
forgotten man
Something similar to this could have been written about the UK about 100 or so years ago. The UK chancellor of the exchequer still sits on the wool sack that was so important to the UK economy because of the refuge given to persecuted refugees from Europe who plied their trades and expertise in the UK. To mention just one pre industrial revolution immigration led leg-up.
There again immigration wasnt to my knowledge a big factor in either post war Germany or Japan who grew to number 2 and 3 in the world rankings.
The common law was(is) probably the most important of all as it allows the recognition of property rights, even against claims by the state, held by the general population.Even immigrants.
The same general population that was non aristocratic , hereditary and often moribund existing ruling body, that went on to accumulate and progress their innovative business activities that created the major driving force that we know as “the industrial revolution”.
The other thing that isn’t factored in the list is “Government as % of GDP”.
Both the UK and USA at their most potent had very small governments (therefore small taxation demands.)
Even Norway is likely to score a lower % than the UK or the US at this time.
“Communist” China scores less than half of the % of the UK on this measure.In case nobody has noticed they are on a very rapid rise.
Their lack of common law ( or if it exists it isn’t very effective.) has probably reduced their rate of rise and will quite likely clip it at some point unless political changes are made.
Tuesday ~ November 16th, 2010 at 6:01 pm
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