职权结构、产权和经济停滞:中国的案例

中国在宋代(960?1279年)经历了前所未有的经济增长.据麦迪森(Maddison)的估计,当时之人均GDP从450元增加到600元(以1990年国际美元计).截然相反的是,在后来的明清两代(1368?1911年),中国的人均GDP几乎保持于600元不变.这就引发了中国经济史上一个有趣的问题??"为什么宋代中国的早期工业革命到了明清时期会变成停滞的农业经济?"我的观点是,中国的省制度在1370年代发生了变化,使得工商活动之产权执行不力,从而导致上述长期经济绩效的变迁.

THE STRUCTURE OF AUTHORITY,PROPERTY RIGHTS AND ECONOMIC STAGNATION:THE CASE OF CHINA

During the Song Dynasty (960?1279), China experienced unprecedented economic growth, with per-capita GDP increasing from $450 to $600 (in 1990 international dollars), according to estimates by Maddison. In sharp contrast, per-capita GDP remained more or less constant at $600 during the subsequent Ming-Qing period (1368?1911). This raises a major question in Chinese economic history: "Why did China's early Industrial Revolution of the Song Dynasty give way to a stagnant agrarian economy during the Ming-Qing ...