This thesis consists of four self-contained essays exploring the economic and political development of Sweden. Exit, Voice and Political Change: Evidence from Swedish Mass Migration to the United States studies the political effects in sending locations of mass emigration to the United States in the 19th century. Mass Migration, Cheap Labor, and Innovation studies the effects of migration on technological innovation in sending locations during one of the largest migration episodes in human history: the Age of Mass Migration. On the Right Track: Railroads, Mobility, and Innovation During Two Centuries studies the construction of the 19th-century Swedish railroad network and estimates its effects on innovation during two centuries. Homeownership, Housing Wealth and Socioeconomic Outcomes: Evidence from Sweden 1999-2007 studies a government supported homeownership wave in Sweden and estimates its effects on wealth, labor market participation and demographics.