The Limits to Land Reform: The Land Acts in Ireland, 1870–1909*

摘要: Ireland experienced two great waves of land reform during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Land was a central demand Irish political factions time by acceding to this successive British governments hoped pacify Ireland. This article reconsiders economic significance several land-reform measures examining them in context theory comparing other episodes currently developing countries European history. The reforms contained little that could better allocation resources so had impact on efficiency, even though end result creation class peasant proprietors operating free market. analysis focuses structure laws their relation institutions, although we also discuss aggregate evidence evolution agricultural efficiency following reforms. Moreover, legislation missed an important opportunity improve smallholders’ access credit. Some facets legislation, interacting with some unusual institutional features tenure Ireland, made credit conditions worse. much more wealth-redistribution program financed Britain than serious effort agriculture. occupy roles both history historiography struggles culminated partition 1920s. Successive politicians sought harness essentially nationalist ambitions mundane dissatisfactions farmer, convincing latter prosperity required alterations or complete abolition agrarian system