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

Monday, April 6, 2026
The Taiwan Relations Act At 47: Taiwan's Evolving Hedging Strategy Amidst Intensifying Global Competition
The Hoover Institution's Project on Taiwan in the Indo-Pacific Region invites you to The Taiwan Relations Act at 47: Taiwan's Evolving Hedging… Herbert Hoover Memorial Building, Room 160
Tuesday, April 7, 2026
Unstable Majorities Continue: The Trump Era
Unstable Majorities Continue: The Trump Era
The Center for Revitalizing American Institutions hosts Unstable Majorities Continue: The Trump Era, a book talk with author Morris P. Fiorina on… Shultz Auditorium, George P. Shultz Building
Thursday, April 9, 2026
HART Oral Histories
The Afghanistan Oral Histories Launch: War, Aftermath, And Memory
As part of the The Archives Uncovered event series, the Hoover Institution Afghanistan Research and Relief Team and Library & Archives invite you… Shultz Auditorium, George P. Shultz Building
overlay image