The new institutional economics is one of the the most important new bodies of theory to emerge in economics in recent years. The contributors to this volume address its significance for the developing world. The book is a major contribution to an area of debate still in its formative phase. The book challenges the orthodoxies of development, espec

A major contribution to an area of debate still in its formative phase. It offers new perspectives on both the micro-foundations of economics and the long run dynamics of economic development.

The New Institutional Economics (NIE) and its two main branches, namely, the theory of transaction cost and contractual choice on the one hand, and that of collective action on the other, broaden the analytical framework of mainstream economics. In doing so the NIE attempts to explain the institutional phenomena which, although almost universally recognised as important, have previously eluded the group of economists. This book is concerned with the NIE and its possible application to Development Economics. It has two specific objectives. The first is to show the relevance and assess the applicability of the principles and insights of the NIE to the analysis of the problems of the LDC's. The second is to provide another set of applications and empirical investigations of the NIE. By combining the relevant theoretical background with applications, the book is self-contained and presented in such a way as to be accessible to each of the following types of reader: (1) development economists and practitioners (2) readers interested in institutions and the NIE (3) regional specialists in North Africa and in countries such as Tunisia and (4) those interested in political economy.

New Institutional Economics (NIE) has skyrocketed in scope and influence over the last three decades. This first Handbook of NIE provides a unique and timely overview of recent developments and broad orientations. Contributions analyse the domain and perspectives of NIE; sections on legal institutions, political institutions, transaction cost economics, governance, contracting, institutional change, and more capture NIE's interdisciplinary nature. This Handbook will be of interest to economists, political scientists, legal scholars, management specialists, sociologists, and others wishing to learn more about this important subject and gain insight into progress made by institutionalists from other disciplines. This compendium of analyses by some of the foremost NIE specialists, including Ronald Coase, Douglass North, Elinor Ostrom, and Oliver Williamson, gives students and new researchers an introduction to the topic and offers established scholars a reference book for their research.

This second edition assesses some of the major refinements, extensions, and useful applications that have developed in neoinstitutionalist thought in recent years. More attention is given to the overlap between the New Institutional Economics and developments in economic history and political science. In addition to updated references, new material includes analysis of parallel developments in the field of economic sociology and its attacks on representatives of the NIE as well as an explanation of the institution-as-an-equilibrium-of-game approach. Already an international best seller, Institutions and Economic Theory is essential reading for economists and students attracted to the NIE approach. Scholars from such disciplines as political science, sociology, and law will find the work useful as the NIE continues to gain wide academic acceptance. A useful glossary for students is included. Eirik Furubotn is Honorary Professor of Economics, Co-Director of the Center for New Institutional Economics, University of Saarland, Germany and Research Fellow, Private Enterprise Research Center, Texas A&M University. Rudolph Richter is Professor Emeritus of Economics and Director of the Center for New Institutional Economics, University of Saarland, Germany.

A comprehensive introduction to and critical assessment of the theory and applications of the New Institutional Economics.

An analytical framework for explaining the ways in which institutions and institutional change affect the performance of economies is developed in this analysis of economic structures.