Economics
Path Dependence in Institutional Development
Quick fact
The QWERTY keyboard layout, designed in the 1870s to prevent mechanical jams, became so entrenched that even modern touchscreens show it — a perfect illustration of path dependence.
Why this is interesting
Why do we still use the QWERTY keyboard layout when it was designed to slow early typists down? What if the answer reveals a deep principle about how whole countries and organizations develop?