Template-Type: ReDIF-Paper 1.0
Author-Name: Ran Abramitzky
Author-X-Name-First: Ran
Author-X-Name-Last: Abramitzky
Author-Email: ranabr@stanford.edu
Author-Workplace-Name: Stanford University and NBER
Author-Name: Isabelle Sin
Author-X-Name-First: Isabelle
Author-X-Name-Last: Sin
Author-Email: isabelle.sin@motu.org.nz
Author-Workplace-Name: Motu Economic and Public Policy Research
Title: Book Translations as Idea Flows: The Effects of the Collapse of Communism on the Diffusion of Knowledge
Abstract:  We use book translations as a new measure of international idea flows and study the effects of Communism’s collapse in Eastern Europe on these flows. Using novel data on 800,000 translations and difference-in-differences approaches, we show that while translations between Communist languages decreased by two thirds with the collapse, Western-to-Communist translations increased by a factor of five and quickly converged to Western levels. Convergence was more complete in more economically-useful fields such as the sciences, and was more complete in Satellite than in Soviet countries. These findings help us understand how institutions shape the international diffusion of knowledge.
Length: 53 pages
Creation-Date:  2012-05
File-URL: https://motu-www.motu.org.nz/wpapers/12_05.pdf
Number: 12-05
Classification-JEL: N0, N70, N74, F02, F15, P20, P30, P51, P52
Keywords: idea flows, book translations, institutions, institutional change, Communism's collapse
Handle: RePEc:mtu:wpaper:12_05