James Robinson on Latin America's Development Challenge, Institutions, and the Nobel Prize

Why do good policies fail? Why do some countries prosper while others struggle? And what can Latin America teach us about institutions, political change, and development? In this episode of the Oxford Policy Pod, hosts Cecilia Esteche and Diego Peñaranda sit down with Professor James Robinson, 2024 Nobel Memorial Prize laureate in Economic Sciences, Professor at the University of Chicago, and co-author of Why Nations Fail and The Narrow Corridor. The conversation begins with Robinson's personal journey and how winning the Nobel Prize has shaped his research today. The discussion then turns to one of his newest ideas: The Fundamental Imbalance in Latin America. Robinson explains the tension between the "real" and the "ideal," why implementation is often harder than policy design, and how culture, institutions, and political incentives interact to shape development. 📍Recorded by the Oxford Policy Pod at the Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford. Subscribe for more conversations with leading policymakers, academics and practitioners from around the world.