IDEA GAPS AND OBJECT GAPS IN ECONOMIC-DEVELOPMENT

A nation that lacks physical objects like factories and roads suffers from an object gap. A nation that lacks the knowledge used to create value in a modern economy suffers from an idea gap. Object gaps are emphasized by mainstream economists who make use of formal models and statistical hypothesis tests. Idea gaps are emphasized by dissident economists who make use of a diverse body of evidence and avoid formal models. Economists need to use the formal models from the first approach and the diverse evidence from the second to fully appreciate the importance of idea gaps in economic development.