In this episode, economist, political scientist, and author James A. Robinson shares his insights on a varied range of topics including the influence of culture, the vicious cycle of extractive institutions, and establishing trust in the government. He also highlights the need for understanding context when it comes to the use of economic models as basis forming policies. Professor Robinson also gives his thoughts on where he would choose to live 50 years from now. 0:00 Introduction1:29 Career8:13 Interplay of culture and institutions22:41 Political Economy38:22 Building and Developing an Effective State48:51 Thought Experiment

Introduction1:29 Career8:13 Interplay of culture and institutions22:41 Political Economy38:22 Building and Developing an Effective State48:51 Thought Experiment

The Drayton Discourse is an exciting podcast series brought to you by the Academic Events team of The Economist’s Society, here at University College London! Our episodes allow you to listen in to stimulating discussions with world-renowned economists. From ground-breaking ideas to revolutionary research, our guests share their thoughts, opinions and, most interestingly, personal stories which put together, teach us a good deal of economics and a great deal of life.