From Desks to Democracy: 5 Reasons Why Classrooms (and Nations) Fail
Source: Reader’s Haven
Table of Contents
Why Nations Fail—and What Classrooms Can Learn
1. No Kings, No Favorites: Breaking Extractive Institution Habits
2. No Elites Allowed: Building Inclusive Institutions
Why Differentiated Instruction Mirrors Inclusive Institutions
3. Critical Junctures: When Classrooms Choose Their Path
Rewriting the Rules By Co-Creating Classroom Norms
Don’t Limp Through Units—Reset Them
4. Don’t Be a Tiberius: Embracing Creative Destruction in Education
Why Nations Fail—and What Classrooms Can Learn
Have you ever asked yourself, “Why do some nations do well while others don’t?”
In their groundbreaking book Why Nations Fail, Nobel Peace Prize-winning authors Daron Acemoglu and James Robinson argue that the answer is not in geography or culture, but in the institutions societies build.
Classrooms, in their own way, are like nations. Teachers make daily decisions that either widen opportunity or limit it, that either encourage curiosity or stifle it.
From assessment practices to classroom norms, the structures we build in schools shape whether students blossom or wilt. Just as nations rise or fall based on their institutions, classrooms succeed or struggle based on the systems teachers create.
In today’s post, we will explore how big ideas from Why Nations Fail apply not only to history but also to schools. More importantly, we’re going to consider how teachers use these lessons to build classrooms where every student has a voice, a role, and a real stake in learning.
1. No Kings, No Favorites: Breaking Extractive Institution Habits
“This is no democracy. It is a dictatorship. I am the law.”
Picture this: It’s the year 2000, and you’re living in Zimbabwe.
The partly state-owned Zimbabwe Banking Corporation (Zimbank) is running a national lottery. The rules? Anyone with more than Z$5,000 in their account is automatically entered.
You’ve been saving carefully and just barely meet the requirement. Excited, you tune into the televised drawing, hoping tonight might change your life. The Master of Ceremonies, Fallot Chawawa, steps up and pulls out the winning ticket.
The prize? A whopping Z$100,000—about five times the country’s average annual income. Enough to lift a family into lifelong financial security.
You lean in, waiting for the name to be read.
And then… It’s announced.
The jackpot winner is none other than President Robert Mugabe.
“The most common reason nations fail today is because they have extractive institutions... extractive political institutions support these economic institutions by cementing the power of those who benefit from the extraction.”
That’s pretty much it.
Lower-performing nations and regions usually operate under extractive institutions, and, in the Zimbabwean lottery scenario, the president rigged the system to benefit himself, leaving everyone else out of luck.
Other real-world examples include:
Uzbekistan: Under Karimov, forced child labor fueled cotton exports, enriching elites while a third of the population lived in poverty.
Egypt: Under Mubarak, wealthy “whales” dominated government and privatization, while 40% of the population continued to live on $2 a day.
Russia: Under Putin, state control and oligarch dominance concentrate wealth and stifle competition.
So, what lessons can teachers take from these extractive systems?
Teach Without Tyranny
“The powerful have always preyed on the powerless. That’s how they become powerful in the first place.”
Power struggles might make for great TV drama, but they don’t win any Emmys in the classroom. One of the first lessons teachers can take from failed nations is to avoid slipping into “teacher-centered” dominance.
In a teacher-centered classroom, all decisions are made from the top, with minimal input from students. This mimics extreme centralization of power.
It might be tempting to think, “But it’s my classroom. I’m the one with the training, the lesson plans, and the stack of papers to grade!” And while that’s true, here’s the catch: when the teacher holds all the power and voice, students often disengage.
For example, if the teacher does all the talking and teaching, students are left doing all the passive listening and learning. And education research tells us that this isn’t the kind of learning that sticks.
That’s why it’s crucial to create space for shared ownership of the classroom experience. When students feel their voices matter, they shift from passive observers to active participants in their own learning.
Don’t Play Favorites
Another lesson we can borrow from the dangers of extractive institutions is the risk of favoritism.
In countries where elites control all the power, the majority are left voiceless and disengaged. Classrooms can fall into the same trap if teachers lean too heavily on a small “elite” group of students.
Imagine sitting in class and watching the same three kids always get called on, praised, or chosen for special roles. Pretty soon, the rest of the class starts thinking, “Why bother? My opinion doesn’t matter here.” That’s how disengagement sets in.
Instead, strong classrooms run like inclusive institutions (more on this in the next section) where everyone has a stake. That means:
Rotating leadership roles so all students get a chance to shine.
Calling on a wide variety of voices, not just the reliable few.
Valuing diverse strengths so that success isn’t defined by a single, narrow mold.
When opportunities are shared, students engage more deeply and feel their contributions matter. Ultimately, avoiding favoritism ensures that your classroom doesn’t imitate extractive systems where only a few thrive while the rest are left behind.
2. No Elites Allowed: Building Inclusive Institutions
You’re in a dim workshop in the late 1800s. Wires dangle from the ceiling, glass tubes scatter across a cluttered table, and a weary inventor tests yet another filament in search of the perfect glow.
After hundreds of failed attempts, the room suddenly lights up—Eureka! Thomas Edison has done it. The electric light bulb is set to change the world.
But Edison’s genius alone didn’t guarantee his success. What made it possible was the United States’ patent system—an early example of an inclusive institution. Patents protected inventors and gave ordinary people, not just elites, the chance to profit from their ideas.
Unlike extractive institutions that consolidate power, inclusive institutions spread power, opportunity, and resources broadly. They encourage participation, innovation, and accountability by giving everyone a fair stake in society.
According to the authors of Why Nations Fail, this is the recipe behind the world’s most successful nations. And classrooms can mirror this principle.
Just as patents gave inventors a fair shot, teachers can create spaces where every student is free to experiment, share ideas, and be recognized for their contributions.
“Inclusive economic institutions create inclusive markets, which not only give people freedom to pursue the vocations in life that best suit their talents but also provide a level playing field that gives them the opportunity to do so.”
An inclusive classroom works the same way.
Imagine a learning space where every student has a voice, choice in how they learn, and opportunities to lead. The teacher guides rather than controls, leadership rotates, group work is balanced, and diverse strengths are celebrated. When students know their contributions matter, engagement rises, collaboration improves, and learning becomes more meaningful.
Inclusive classrooms don’t just prevent disengagement—they create environments where all students can thrive.
History shows how powerful inclusive institutions can be:
Japan (Meiji Restoration, 1868): Abolished feudalism, expanded education, opened markets, and adopted a written constitution.
Australia (New South Wales): Shifted from convict labor to allowing prisoners to keep or sell goods, giving them a stake in productivity.
Botswana (1966): Strengthened village assemblies (kgotla), curbing corruption and reinvesting diamond wealth in schools and infrastructure.
United States (post-independence): Protected property rights, promoted open markets, and broadened voting rights over time to expand participation.
The key takeaway is clear: fostering inclusivity in the classroom is not just good practice—it’s a principle that these Nobel-winning authors see repeated among the most successful societies in the world.
Student Voice Matters
One of the clearest ways inclusive institutions show up in classrooms is through student voice. Just as nations like Botswana, with its open village assemblies (kgotla), or early U.S. town meetings grew stronger by broadening participation, classrooms thrive when students know their perspectives matter.
Instead of the teacher making every decision, students can help set norms, choose projects, or co-design activities. Tools like rotating roles, think-pair-share, or anonymous polling ensure participation isn’t limited to the most outspoken voices.
That said, inclusive classrooms still require structure. Just as nations need political centralization to function, classrooms need a teacher to guide the process.
Without any framework, things quickly fall apart—as history shows with countries like Somalia, where the absence of strong central institutions has made stability difficult. The key is balance: shared power, but not a free-for-all.
When students feel their input shapes the classroom, they engage more deeply, take ownership of learning, and collaborate with greater respect—just as inclusive societies prosper when all citizens are invited into the conversation.
Why Differentiated Instruction Mirrors Inclusive Institutions
Differentiated instruction is one of the most effective ways to bring inclusive practices into the classroom. Instead of a one-size-fits-all approach, differentiation creates fair access by offering choices that honor diverse strengths. For example:
Tiered assignments give all students a common goal but allow for varied levels of complexity, ensuring everyone is challenged at the right level.
Choice boards let students pick how they demonstrate understanding (through writing, art, presentations, or digital media) so every learner has a voice.
Flexible grouping rotates students into different teams based on strengths, interests, or needs, preventing the same few students from always leading and giving everyone a chance to shine.
These approaches prevent success from being limited to just a few students. Instead, it spreads opportunity across the classroom, allowing every learner to engage, contribute their strengths, and take ownership of their growth.
3. Critical Junctures: When Classrooms Choose Their Path
Imagine Europe in the mid-14th century—bustling towns, crowded markets, and villages alive with daily rhythms.
Then, almost overnight, the unimaginable struck: the Black Death. Bells tolled endlessly, fields went untended, and a third of the population vanished—as if Thanos had snapped his fingers in real life.
Yet (believe it or not), from this devastation came an unexpected change. With labor scarce, peasants began demanding higher wages, landowners adopted new practices, and centuries-old hierarchies started to crumble.
The plague became a critical juncture—a crisis so profound it reset Western Europe’s political, economic, and social trajectory.
In Why Nations Fail, critical junctures are defined as turning points that reset the “rules of the game.” Famous examples include:
The Glorious Revolution (1688): England limited monarchs and strengthened Parliament, paving the way for constitutional democracy.
The Rum Rebellion (1808): Australia’s only armed coup ended military dominance and promoted accountable governance.
Mao Zedong’s Death (1976): China shifted from rigid collectivism to Deng Xiaoping’s reforms, sparking rapid economic growth.
Critical junctures aren’t just historical—they happen in schools too. From curriculum overhauls to the arrival of new technology, these pivotal moments reshape classrooms.
However, teachers don’t have to wait for these moments. They can create their own turning points, reshaping learning for the better. Here’s how.
Rewriting the Rules By Co-Creating Classroom Norms
Just as nations reshape their “rules of the game” after revolutions or reforms, classrooms can reset their culture by co-creating norms with students.
This isn’t about giving up authority—it’s about sharing responsibility. When students help design expectations and routines, they feel a sense of ownership over the direction of the class.
Instead of posting a pre-made list of rules on day one, invite students into the process.
Ask: “What do we need to make this a class where everyone can succeed?” Gather their responses, group common themes, and craft a shared set of norms. Framing expectations as a collective effort transforms compliance into commitment.
This strategy works especially well after conflicts or low points. For example, if group work is faltering, pause and revisit the process. Together, draft new “rules for fair teamwork” like rotating roles, respecting time limits, or holding peers accountable. Because students co-created the system, they are far more likely to honor it.
The impact is powerful: students feel heard, teachers build trust, and the classroom runs more smoothly. Co-created norms function like inclusive institutions—they distribute power, encourage participation, and build a stronger community where students see themselves as active partners in learning.
Don’t Limp Through Units—Reset Them
During the Black Death, Europe’s labor force shrank so drastically that peasants gained the upper hand against landlords, fueling uprisings like England’s Peasants’ Revolt.
While no teacher wants a student revolt, sometimes lessons stall, engagement drops, or group work falters.
A mid-unit reset is the classroom equivalent of a historical turning point: a deliberate pause halfway through a unit to reflect and adjust before things spiral out of control.
Without reflection, a unit can limp forward with disengaged students and unclear goals.
A reset interrupts that cycle and signals to students that their voices matter, reminding them that learning is adaptable, not rigid.
How to do it:
Pause the content for 5-10 minutes.
Ask guiding questions: What’s working? What’s confusing? What should we adjust?
Collect feedback through sticky notes, polls, or small-group talks.
Act on feedback: adjust pacing, clarify rubrics, or increase collaboration.
Name the reset so students see their input shaping the class.
Like nations that adapt after a crisis, mid-unit resets can turn disengagement into energy and make students active partners in their learning.
4. Don’t Be a Tiberius: Embracing Creative Destruction in Education
Legend says that during the reign of Emperor Tiberius, a Roman inventor presented a cup made of unbreakable glass. To prove its strength, he threw it to the ground; the cup dented but did not shatter.
Instead of rewarding the man, Tiberius ordered his execution. Why? Because if such glass became common, it would threaten the value of gold and silver, which were the very foundations of Rome’s wealth.
In other words, the emperor feared creative destruction.
This story reveals a timeless truth that innovation is often resisted because it disrupts comfortable, established systems. Rome chose to suppress progress instead of embracing it, missing the chance to transform everyday life.
As Acemoglu and Robinson explain in Why Nations Fail, creative destruction (a term coined by Joseph Schumpeter in 1942) is the process of replacing outdated products and practices with new ones. Nations that embrace innovation adapt and prosper, while those that resist inevitably fall behind.
Crucially, creative destruction flourishes only in societies with strong institutions that protect people’s rights to benefit from their ideas.
History offers powerful examples of creative destruction in action:
The commenda in early Venice allowed traveling merchants and investors to share risks and profits, fostering upward mobility and reshaping trade.
Edmund Cartwright’s power loom (1785) displaced weaving textiles by hand and fueled industrial growth.
John McAdam’s tarmac, Richard Trevithick’s first steam engine, and George Stephenson’s “Rocket” train revolutionized transportation and trade through railways.
Classrooms face the same choice. By embracing creative destruction, teachers can replace outdated methods with approaches that spark curiosity, ownership, and deeper learning. Growth doesn’t come from clinging to the past—it comes from daring to dismantle what no longer works and building something better in its place.
Pivot Pedagogy
“Pivot! Pivot! Pivot! Pi-vot! Pi-vot! PI-VOT!”
In classrooms, using creative destruction means having the courage to let go of practices that keep students passive and replacing them with approaches that foster curiosity and ownership.
When participation lags or lessons feel flat, it’s a signal that something old needs to give way to something new. Clinging to long lectures, rigid worksheets, or one-size-fits-all routines is like propping up dying industries—they may feel familiar, but they prevent progress.
This is where pivoting pedagogy comes in. Instead of doubling down on ineffective methods, teachers can embrace strategies that energize learning. Shifting from lectures to project-based learning, student-led discussions, or collaborative inquiry can completely transform classroom culture.
Imagine a history unit where students no longer just listen but work as historians—analyzing sources, debating interpretations, and presenting their findings. The room comes alive. Students lean forward, argue with evidence, and take ownership of their learning. That single act of “creative destruction” replaces passive learning with active engagement.
Just as nations prosper when they embrace creative destruction to fuel innovation, classrooms flourish when teachers dare to dismantle what no longer works and build something better in its place.
Measuring More Than Memory
Creative destruction can apply to school assessments. Traditional tools, such as timed tests, multiple-choice quizzes, and rigid grading scales, may measure surface knowledge, but they rarely promote creativity, critical thinking, or authentic application.
If assessments no longer serve students, it’s time to replace them. This isn’t about abandoning accountability; it’s about using tools that promote deeper learning. Performance tasks, portfolios, and project-based assessments enable students to demonstrate their understanding in context by designing solutions, building models, or presenting research.
Examples of assessment pivots include:
Quizzes → Podcasts: Replace vocabulary quizzes with short student podcasts where words are used in interviews or stories.
Timed essays → Portfolios: Swap one-shot essays for digital portfolios with drafts, revisions, and reflections that show growth.
Unit tests → Performance tasks: Turn tests into real-world projects, like designing a budget or pitching a community proposal.
Like nations that stagnate when they resist change, classrooms risk disengagement when assessments stay static. By embracing creative destruction, teachers can measure not just what students know, but also how they think, create, and solve problems.
5. A Tale of Two Koreas—and Two Classrooms
After World War II, the peninsula was split at the 38th parallel.
In the north, Kim Il-Sung established a dictatorship backed by the Soviet Union. Markets were banned, property rights abolished, and innovation suppressed. This created a vicious circle, where concentrated power continued to fuel repression, deepen poverty, and tighten authoritarian control.
In the south, leaders such as Syngman Rhee—supported by the United States—chose a different path. They invested in education, promoted trade, and protected property rights. These choices sparked a virtuous circle, where opportunity continued to fuel growth and strengthen institutions, and in turn, institutions opened up more opportunities.
By the 1990s, South Koreans were living longer, earning ten times more than their northern neighbors, and thriving in a modern economy.
Other nations reveal similar patterns.
Sierra Leone after independence: Siaka Stevens intensified extraction, enriching elites while citizens sank deeper into poverty, locking the nation into an extractive cycle.
Guatemala after independence: Conquistador descendants held power through forced labor and monopolies under the Consulado de Comercio, even blocking infrastructure to suppress potential competitors.
Great Britain after the Glorious Revolution: Incremental reforms like the Chartist movement and universal suffrage gradually expanded participation and strengthened institutions.
United States after the Civil War: Robber Barons such as Vanderbilt, Rockefeller, and Morgan sought to dominate markets, but grassroots movements like the Grangers pushed back, leading to the Interstate Commerce Commission, the first federal regulator of monopolies.
Acemoglu and Robinson call this the “Iron Law of Oligarchy.” Countries that start down the path of extraction often double down, while those that expand inclusivity create the momentum for future generations to do the same.
In short: extractive systems close doors, inclusive ones open them.
The same principle applies to schools. A vicious circle may look like a teacher leaning on the same “star” students, leaving others disengaged, or discipline spiraling into harsher punishments and greater resentment.
A virtuous circle, by contrast, emerges when teachers rotate leadership roles, invite all voices into discussion, and celebrate diverse strengths. Participation rises, trust builds, and energy multiplies.
The challenge for teachers is to reflect honestly: are your practices reinforcing exclusion or building inclusion?
Each small shift—breaking away from rigid routines and opening doors for student voice—sets in motion a virtuous circle of growth. Just as nations flourish when opportunity is shared, classrooms thrive when every student has a chance to contribute, innovate, and succeed.
In the long run, successful classrooms mirror prosperous nations: vibrant, adaptive, and built on the shared strength of all their people.
Long-Term Success Starts Here
History is clear: nations that cling to extraction like hoarding power and resisting change collapse into stagnation. Nations that embrace inclusivity, such as sharing opportunities, empowering citizens, and welcoming innovation, flourish.
It’s a compelling argument that the same is true for classrooms.
Teachers hold the power to design institutions within their classrooms that either reinforce vicious circles of disengagement or create virtuous circles of growth.
By embracing inclusive practices, creating favorable critical junctures, and continually innovating their methods through creative destruction, teachers open the door to make space for curiosity, collaboration, and deeper learning.
Just as prosperous nations thrive by unlocking the potential of their people, successful classrooms thrive by unlocking the potential of every student.
And when teachers continue to build inclusive, adaptive systems, they don’t just improve a single lesson or unit—they set their students, and their classrooms, on a trajectory of long-term success.
Great nations rise when every citizen matters, and great classrooms rise when every student does.
