AT A GLANCE “Why Nations Fail” author discusses the connection between inclusive institutions and economic growth, and why COVID-19 could have long-term effects on state-society relations ·MIT Economics Professor Daron Acemoglu is awarded the 2020 CME Group-MSRI Prize Daron Acemoglu’s youth in Turkey produced early lessons on the inextricable link between economics and politics. In September 1980, Acemoglu was living in Istanbul and had just turned 13 when the Turkish military launched a coup that overthrew the civilian government. Scenes of soldiers in the streets and a general climate of chaos and fear remain fresh in Acemoglu’s mind. One particular takeaway from that experience has informed Acemoglu’s work ever since: a society requires trustworthy, inclusive institutions if democracy is going work.