Diversity of Idea Flows and Economic Growth

Abstract

What role does access to diverse ideas play in economic growth? New forms of geo-located communications and economic data allow measurement of human interaction patterns and prediction of economic outcomes for individuals, communities, and nations at a fine granularity, with the strongest predictors of income, productivity, and growth being measures of diversity and frequency of physical interaction between communities (clusters of interaction). This finding provides both new investment opportunities and new methods of risk assessment. Access and use of these data raise privacy and security risks, and the final section of the paper describes how these challenges can be controlled.