Organizations and Markets

Virtual Seminar with Benito Arruñada – Reminder

20 December 2012 at 2:07 pm Lasse 2 comments

| Lasse Lien |

2013 will get a flying start here at O&M. Wednesday the 3rd of January we will kick off a virtual seminar over former guest blogger Benito Arruñada’s new book, Institutional Foundations of Impersonal Exchange (Chicago UP). Here are some reasons you should log on and join the discussion:

• The book deals with issues that O&M readers love: Conditions that make transactions more or less difficult, and the implications of this for—among other things—investment, economic growth, and a number of other issues. Benito’s analysis is not some slightly modified version of the standard transaction cost story, though. It is quite original in its focus on the importance of impersonal exchange, and the tradeoffs involved in designing institutions that facilitate impersonal exchange.
• The book is both original and well written, but don’t take my word for it. As Henry E. Smith of Harvard Law School puts it: “This is law and economics at its best. Benito Arruñada’s brilliant book greatly advances our understanding of how law and legal institutions affect the possibilities for trade. Very unusually, it also demonstrates how the needs of transacting parties and the interests of those who serve them profoundly shape a wide range of institutions from contract enforcement to title registries.”
• A number of interesting contributors have already agreed to post comments, critique, and thoughts inspired by Benito’s book, including:
  • Wade Channell (USAID)
  • Pamela O’Connor (Monash University)
  • Klaus Deininger (World Bank)
  • Paul Dower (New Economic School)
  • Nuno Garoupa (University of Illinois)
  • P.J. Hill (Wheaton College and PERC)
  • Paul Holden (The Enterprise Research Institute)
  • Philip Keefer (World Bank)
  • Stuart Kerr (Millennium Challenge Corporation)
  • Amnon Lehavi (Radzyner School of Law, IDC)
  • Corrado Malberti (University of Luxembourg and Commissione Studi Int.li Consiglio Nazionale del Notariato)
  • Richard Messick (Consultant)
  • John Nye (George Mason University)
  • Matteo Rizzolli (Free University of Bozen)
  • Rod Thomas (Auckland University of Technology)
  • Giorgio Zanarone (CUNEF)
  • And of course Benito himself….

We hope many more will join in the discussion as it get’s going from Wednesday January 3rd. The more the merrier. So read the book and join the discussion—or join the discussion even if you haven’t read the book, but have thoughts on the subjects discussed.

Entry filed under: Ephemera.