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A cold case (over 160 years old): The effects of unification on Italy’s North-South divide

GLOBAL BUSINESS AND FINANCE MAGAZINE
June 30, 2025
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Few economic debates have lasted as long as the 160-year debate concerning the effects of Italian unification on the economies of Italy’s South and North. This column proposes a way to move the argument forward. The authors estimate the causal effects of unification on the agricultural share, literacy rates, and railway density in the South […]

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Before banks: Historical lessons for rethinking credit

GLOBAL BUSINESS AND FINANCE MAGAZINE
April 23, 2025
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The global financial crisis of 2008 has led economists, historians, and policymakers alike to re-examine the foundations of our financial infrastructure. This column revisits the world of credit before the rise of modern banking to draw insights for contemporary reform. Drawing on historical research from early modern Europe, it reveals that communities long relied on […]