Why Nations Fail, by Daron Acemoglu & James Robinson

Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity, and Poverty is jointly authored by a political scientist and an economist, and forcefully argues that political factors drive the economic success of societies.

By comparing several natural experiments, the authors' central thesis is simple: political systems inevitably tend toward either inclusive or extractive institutions -- and only inclusive systems provide the balance of interests necessary to support long-term prosperity. 

At times, the book focuses on political institutions to the near exclusion of other factors of potential relevance to social prosperity. Still, the book is an interesting examination of how collective decision-making institutions can be structured to represent diverse stakeholders effectively.