Preface

Abstract

Welcome to the Handbook of Cliometrics, a part of the Springer Reference Library. In order to foster world-class research, the handbook includes economists and economic historians of the highest caliber from around the world. It is a milestone in the field of historical economics and econometric history through its emphasis on the concrete contribution of cliometrics to our knowledge of economics and history. Cliometrics dates formally to the joint meeting of the Economic History Association and the Conference on Research in Income and Wealth (under the purview of the NBER) in 1957. The concept of cliometrics, the application of economic theory and quantitative techniques to the study of history, is somewhat older. Regardless of its precise origin, this focus on the use of theory and formal modeling that distinguishes cliometrics from “old” economic history has redefined the discipline and made an indelible mark on economics. The works in this handbook recognize these contributions and highlight them in a variety of subdisciplines. The handbook is a work of tertiary literature. As such, it contains digested knowledge in an easily accessible format. The chapters provide an overview of the contributions of cliometrics to various subdisciplines in the field of economic history. Each one stresses the usefulness of cliometrics for economists, historians, and social scientists in general.