Why

Renewing Indigenous Economics Forum talk by James A. Robinson Professor, University of Chicago, on Why Indian Nations Fail on Monday, September 24, 2018 in Stauffer Auditorium, Hoover Institution, Stanford University.

Professor James Robinson delivered a keynote address on September 24, 2018. Drawing on his award winning, co-authored book, Why Nations FailRobinson explained how different indigenous societies adapted their institutions over centuries, allowing them to survive and in many cases thrive. Robinson discussed how governance structures thrust upon them by modern nation states have stifled this evolutionary process and led to economic stagnation for many indigenous economies. By understanding why indigenous nations have failed, indigenous societies can renew their cultures and their economies.

Robinson's lecture was followed by comments from Manny Jules, Chief Commissioner of the First Nations Tax Commission, and Te Maire Tau, Director of the Ngāi Tahu Research Center at the University of Canterbury.

Upcoming Events

Wednesday, August 13, 2025
us china
Risk Analysis For An Uncertain Age: A Number-Free Introduction To The Method
The Hoover Institution Program on the US, China, and the World invites you to Risk Analysis for an Uncertain Age: A Number-Free Introduction to the… Annenberg Conference Room, George P. Shultz Building
Monday, August 18, 2025
Abstract connection glass spheres stock photo
Winning the Biotechnology Competition
The Hoover Institution Program on the US, China, and the World and Bio-Strategies and Leadership invite you to Winning the Biotechnology Competition… Hoover Institution, Stanford University
Tuesday, September 9, 2025 10:00 AM PT
Purple background with title in cream above a leather bound photo album covered in paintings, metalwork, and jewels. Gajda Album
Eastern Europe and Beyond: Photographic Albums Revealed
Discover the rich tapestry of Eastern Europe and beyond in a new photographic album exhibition from the Hoover Institution Library & Archives Lou Henry Hoover Gallery, Hoover Tower
overlay image