National Borders, Conflict and Peace

Abstract

This paper reviews the economics approach to conflict and national borders. The paper (a) provides a summary of ideas and concepts from the economics literature on the size of nations; (b) illustrates them within a simple analytical framework where populations fight over borders and resources, and may form non-aggression pacts, military alliances, and political unions; and (c) discusses extensions and directions for further research.wars, alliances, conflict technology, defense, economies of scale, heterogeneity costs, secessions, size of nations