Johan Norberg on What Makes and Breaks Golden Eras

The most prosperous of civilizations were the most open. The Romans, for example, expanded their empire by integrating the populations they conquered, creating a melting pot of new ideas. Johan Norberg's latest book, Peak Human , examines the rise and fall of seven golden age civilizations. In this podcast, he says that if openness to learning and trade are what great societies make, building walls to protect their dominance often sparks their demise. Norberg is a historian and senior fellow at the Cato Institute. Transcript : Read the article Finance & Development: IMF.org/fandd

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Johan Norberg on What Makes and Breaks Golden Eras is an episode from IMF Podcasts by IMF Podcasts.

This episode is 21:04 long.

This episode was published on Feb 5, 2026.

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