Historical Comparison of Economic Prospects

Shifting Determinants of Economic Success

Which statement best analyzes the shift in the primary factors determining an individual's economic prospects when comparing the 14th century to the present day?

An impoverished individual born in 14th-century Italy, a region with a higher average income at the time, would have had significantly better economic prospects than a member of the nobility born in 14th-century Britain, a region with a lower average income.

An impoverished individual born in 14th-century Italy, a region with a higher average income at the time, would have had significantly better economic prospects than a member of the nobility born in 14th-century Britain, a region with a lower average income.

Comparing Economic Mobility Across Centuries

Consider two individuals born in the 14th century. Person A is born into a low-income peasant family in a country with a high average income for the era. Person B is born into a high-income noble family in a country with a low average income for the era. Based on the primary factors determining economic outcomes in that period, which of the following is the most likely scenario?

An economic historian describes two hypothetical global economic structures.

• Structure 1: The difference in average income between the richest and poorest countries is immense, but within any given country, the income gap between the wealthiest and poorest citizens is relatively small.
• Structure 2: The difference in average income between the richest and poorest countries is minimal, but within any given country, the income gap between the wealthiest and poorest citizens is enormous.

Which structure's primary determinant of an individual's economic fate is most analogous to that of the 14th century, and why?

Match each description of a primary economic determinant to the historical era it best represents.

An economic historian claims: "The 'lottery of birth' has always been the single most important factor in determining a person's economic future. Whether born in the 14th century or the 21st, the country you are born into dictates your destiny more than anything else." Based on the primary determinants of economic success in these two eras, evaluate the historian's claim.