Institutions and the Path to the Modern Economy

Itiswidelybelievedthatcurrentdisparitiesineconomic,political,andsocialoutcomesreflectdistinctinstitutions.Institutionsareinvokedtoexplainwhysomecountriesarerichandotherspoor,somedemocraticandothersdictatorial.Butargumentsofthissortglossoverthequestionofwhatinstitutionsare,howtheycomeabout,andwhytheypersist.Theyalsofailtoexplainwhyinstitutionsareinfluencedbythepast,whyitisthattheycansometimeschange,whytheydiffersomuchfromsocietytosociety,andwhyitishardtostudythemempiricallyanddeviseapolicyaimedatalteringthem.Thisbookseekstoovercometheseproblems,whichhaveexercisedeconomists,sociologists,politicalscientists,andahostofotherresearcherswhousethesocialsciencestostudyhistory,law,andbusinessadministration.Itpresentsamulti-disciplinaryperspectivetostudyendogenousinstitutionsandtheirdynamics.

AvnerGreifistheBowmanFamilyEndowedProfessorinHumanitiesandSciencesatStanfordUniversitywhereheteacheseconomics.HeistherecipientoffellowshipsfromtheAmericanAcademyofArtsandSciences,theEconometricsSociety,andtheMacArthurFoundation.HehaspublishedarticlesinAmericanPoliticalScienceReview,EuropeanReviewofEconomicHistory,ChicagoJournalofInternationalLaw,andtheJournalofPoliticalEconomyaswellasmanyeditedbooks.Greifisalsoaco-authorofAnalyticNarrative(PrincetonUniversityPress,1998).