A widely held idea in the field of comparative economic development posits that culture is one of the driving forces behind the divergent economic performances observed across the world. This approach attempts to explain the developmental disparity between Haiti and the United States through the cultural differences between the two countries. Daron Acemoglu (MIT) and James Robinson (University of Chicago at the time of receiving the Nobel Prize), two prominent thinkers in the literature on economic development over the past two decades, have addressed this topic on their blog, Why Nations Fail. Today's discussion draws heavily from their insights.

First, let’s acknowledge the polysemous nature of the concept of culture. The Collins English Dictionary defines culture as “the set of ideas, customs, and arts produced or shared by a given society.” Social science specialists, particularly economists and political scientists, also use this term to refer to the values, customs, and beliefs of a society.