Jean-Paul Faguet

And so we're gonna use a methodology that compares neighbor pairs where one did and the other did not have encomienda. And so ideally these things should be similar in every way that we can't measure. We're also gonna control in our regressions for all the things that we can measure. So we have a ton of, Colombia has very good quality data.

And so we're gonna use a methodology that compares neighbor pairs where one did and the other did not have encomienda. And so ideally these things should be similar in every way that we can't measure. We're also gonna control in our regressions for all the things that we can measure. So we have a ton of, Colombia has very good quality data.

One of the nice things about working in Colombia is that it's one of the best qualities of data of any Latin American country and amongst developing countries generally. Data is held to be good quality in places like India, Brazil, Mexico, and also Columbia. So we have lots of data on locational characteristics that can be measured.

One of the nice things about working in Colombia is that it's one of the best qualities of data of any Latin American country and amongst developing countries generally. Data is held to be good quality in places like India, Brazil, Mexico, and also Columbia. So we have lots of data on locational characteristics that can be measured.

And then we look at neighbor-pair differences where anything that is not measured is presumably controlled for just by virtue of being a neighbor, where one has encomienda, the other doesn't. And so this is one means of identification, but many people say, well, okay, that's okay, but it's not good enough. So then we take one additional big step

And then we look at neighbor-pair differences where anything that is not measured is presumably controlled for just by virtue of being a neighbor, where one has encomienda, the other doesn't. And so this is one means of identification, but many people say, well, okay, that's okay, but it's not good enough. So then we take one additional big step

which is what in econometrics is called instrumental variables, where we come up with an instrument which is ideally highly correlated with the thing that we're trying to pin an argument on, which is the encomienda.

which is what in econometrics is called instrumental variables, where we come up with an instrument which is ideally highly correlated with the thing that we're trying to pin an argument on, which is the encomienda.

So our instrument is highly correlated with the presence or absence of encomienda, but it should be uncorrelated with the outcome variable that we're trying to ascribe to the encomienda, which is modern development outcomes like health, education, GDP per capita, etc., And so we've tried different instruments.

So our instrument is highly correlated with the presence or absence of encomienda, but it should be uncorrelated with the outcome variable that we're trying to ascribe to the encomienda, which is modern development outcomes like health, education, GDP per capita, etc., And so we've tried different instruments.

And one of my junior colleagues, a Colombian called Laura Soto, I mean, this was a team effort and, you know, everybody contributed to it. But I think she had the fundamental spark, the initial idea, which was she was reading the accounts of a guy called Tomas Lopez from 1560, who was an imperial leader.

And one of my junior colleagues, a Colombian called Laura Soto, I mean, this was a team effort and, you know, everybody contributed to it. But I think she had the fundamental spark, the initial idea, which was she was reading the accounts of a guy called Tomas Lopez from 1560, who was an imperial leader.

um agent sent by the crown to to gather information to allow for better taxation of these spanish lords who are making like you know good modern day businessmen and trying to evade taxes like crazy right and again with 15 with 16th century technology evading taxes wasn't that hard this guy was sent by the crown to just like take take a census a catalog as it were catalog

um agent sent by the crown to to gather information to allow for better taxation of these spanish lords who are making like you know good modern day businessmen and trying to evade taxes like crazy right and again with 15 with 16th century technology evading taxes wasn't that hard this guy was sent by the crown to just like take take a census a catalog as it were catalog

how many Spaniards were where, how big their farms were, how big their houses were, and crucially for us, how many encomienda Indians they had working for them. How many pigs, how many horses, all this kind of stuff. But crucially for us, how many encomienda Indians they had working for them.

how many Spaniards were where, how big their farms were, how big their houses were, and crucially for us, how many encomienda Indians they had working for them. How many pigs, how many horses, all this kind of stuff. But crucially for us, how many encomienda Indians they had working for them.

And what Laura, what my colleague saw is that this guy describes exactly the route that he took through Colombia. And he says, I'm going to try to find where all these conquistadores are. How am I going to do that? Well, the best way I can come up with is just to try to retrace their steps because wherever they got to, you know, was via their path.

And what Laura, what my colleague saw is that this guy describes exactly the route that he took through Colombia. And he says, I'm going to try to find where all these conquistadores are. How am I going to do that? Well, the best way I can come up with is just to try to retrace their steps because wherever they got to, you know, was via their path.

So I'm going to try to take the same path that they all took to get where the places are that they founded, you know, towns and villages. or where they have encomiendas. And so we then combine that. This is another very SFI thing. We combine that with modern data from the NASA mission that is mapping the geography of the planet.

So I'm going to try to take the same path that they all took to get where the places are that they founded, you know, towns and villages. or where they have encomiendas. And so we then combine that. This is another very SFI thing. We combine that with modern data from the NASA mission that is mapping the geography of the planet.