Abstract: This paper provides a systematic review of the research contributions by the 2024 Nobel laureates in Economics-Acemoglu, Johnson, and Robinson (AJR). From the perspective of whether external experiences can guide domestic development, it examines AJR’s research on how colonial institutions affect economic development and its practical implications. The paper first introduces the academic background and research characteristics of the three scholars, focusing on their breakthrough contributions to institutional economics. While AJR’s “natural experiment” approach confirms the significant impact of institutions on economic development, their theory shows limitations when applied to non-colonial countries. The paper also explores AJR’s profound influence on political economics, particularly examining its theoretical resonance and divergence with Marxist political economics. The study demonstrates that the effectiveness of institutional transplantation depends on local conditions, suggesting that developing countries should forge their own development paths based on national conditions while learning from international experiences.

Key words: institutional economics, colonial origins, economic development, political economics