Workshop on Ideas, Institutions, and Political Economy (2014-2015) PAST EVENT

Organizer - Dani Rodrik

This workshop focuses on political economy, broadly construed. It features presentations that analyze how ideas, interests, and institutions interact in determining political-economic outcomes. Work that transcends traditional disciplinary boundaries in the tradition of Albert Hirschman is especially welcome. Topics span theoretical and empirical approaches, domestic and international political economy, advanced and developing societies. The intended audience is a mix of scholars from Economics, Political Science, Sociology, History, and other fields. Invited speakers come from IAS, Princeton University, and other academic institutions.

Meetings will be held on Wednesday, 4:30 - 6:00 p.m., in the White-Levy Room at the Institute, located adjacent to the HS/SS Library.


October 1
Nathan Nunn, Harvard University
"The Evolution of Culture and Institutions: Evidence from the Kuba Kingdom"
October 8 Suresh Naidu, Columbia University
"Political Language in Economics"
October 15
Nolan McCarty, Princeton University and Institute for Advanced Study
"Geography, Uncertainty, and Polarization" with Jonathan Rodden, Boris Shor, Chris Tausanovitch, and Christopher Warshaw
October 22
Danielle S. Allen, Institute for Advanced Study
"Social Capital vs. Democratic Knowledge: A Manifesto"
October 29
Shanker Satyanath, New York University
"Bowling for Fascism: Social Capital and the Rise of the Nazi Party," co-authored with Nico Voigtlaender (UCLA) and Hans Joachim Voth (University of Zurich).
November 5
Joel Mokyr, Northwestern University
"A Culture of Growth: Origins of the Modern Economy"
November 12
Nannerl O. Keohane, Princeton University and Institute for Advanced Study
"Civil Society, Democratic Knowledge and Democratic Leadership"
November 19
Sharun Mukand, University of Warwick and Institute for Advanced Study
"Bridging the Divide: Kagame and Nation Building in Rwanda"
December 3
Kenneth Scheve, Stanford University
"Taxing the Rich: Fairness and Fiscal Sacrifice Over Two Centuries"
December 10 -
end of Fall term
Kaushik Basu, World Bank and Cornell University
"A New Approach to Law and Economics”
January 28
John Holmwood, University of Nottingham and Institute for Advanced Study
Creating Democratic Knowledge Online?
February 4
Jon Elster, Columbia University
"The Political Psychology of Constitution Making"
February 11
Avinash Dixit, Princeton University
"How Business Community Institutions Can Help Fight Corruption"
February 18
Special Event: SSRC Albert O. Hirschman Prize Ceremony, featuring prize-winners Abhijit Banerjee and Esther Duflo (MIT). Other speakers include Ira Katznelson, Margaret Levi, and Chris Udry.
February 25
Hoyt Bleakley, University of Michigan
"Up from Poverty? The 1832 Cherokee Land Lottery and the Long-run Distribution of Wealth"
March 4
Carles Boix, Princeton University
“Political Order and Inequality”
March 11
Arthur Silve, Sciences Po and PSE
Rent-seeking Elites, Integration, and the Coevolution of Political Institutions
March 18
No meeting
March 25
Beth Simmons, Harvard University
"The Power of Ranking: The Ease of Doing Business Indicator as a form of Social Pressure," joint with Judith G. Kelley.
April 1
No meeting
April 8
Macartan Humphreys, Columbia University
"Mixing Methods: A Bayesian Approach."
April 15
Peter Hall, Harvard University
“How Political Economies Change: The Evolution of Growth Regimes in the Developed Democracies.”
April 22
Glen Weyl, University of Chicago and Microsoft Research
Quadratic Voting:
Quadratic Voting with Steven P. Lally; Voting Squared with Eric A. Posner