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Thinking Allowed: Boxing styles UK vs US - Why nations fail

07/03/2012

Boxing styles UK vs US - Why nations fail

BBC Radio 4 - Thinking Allowed, Boxing styles UK vs US - Why nations fail

Why Nations Fail. Plus boxing, UK and US style.

Laurie Taylor explores why some nations achieve prosperity but others fail. Also, 'ruffians' versus 'gentlemen' - the origins and meaning of boxing styles in the US and UK.

Why do some nations remain mired in poverty whilst others thrive? A new book argues that the clue to prosperity has less to do with a country's climate, culture and geography than with the inclusivity of its institutions. Authoritarian regimes may succeed in the short run, but long term wealth is only ensured by secure private property, the rule of law and democracy. James Robinson, Professor of Government at Harvard University, discusses his thesis with Laurie Taylor. They're joined by Paul Collier, Professor of Economics at Oxford University. Also 'A Straight Left against a Slogging Ruffian' - the origins of different boxing styles in the UK and US. Research by, Kasia Boddy, an English lecturer at University College, London, explores the boxing boom in the years leading up to the First World War. How did anxieties about the pre-war balance of power turn into a debate on the pros and cons of English versus American styles of boxing? And does this cultural clash about sporting technique still get played out today? 
Producer: Jayne Egerton.

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