Institutions are the engine of history as they constitute much of the structure that influences behaviour, including behaviour leading to new institutions (Greif 2006).
Individuals, firms as well as the states are facing choices in their decision-makings all the time. They are not, however, making decisions independently from the economic, legal, political and social institutions in which they operate. This is because institutions embody incentives to which all players are reacting. The ways in which institutions determine incentives are not given as often assumed in theory, but are an endogenous process in which incentives could be modified or changed in response to changes in institutions. At the same time, institutions are constantly forced to readjust in responding to changes in the behaviour of individuals, firms and the state resulting from changed incentives.
The key concerns of this course are therefore twofold: How do institutions evolve in response to changes in incentives, strategies, and choices made by individuals, firms and the states; and how do institutions affect the economic performance over time. The course examines this interrelationship between incentive and institutions and the role of institutions in societal progress more broadly by, 1) introducing the essential theories of and methodologies applied in institutional economics; 2) providing the historical and empirical evidence in applications of institutional economics; 3) discussing how individuals (entrepreneurship), firms and the states are responding to changes in institutions thereby affecting economic performance; and 4) analyzing the role of institutions in economic transition. The course will apply case study method that extensively relies on institutional theories, contextual knowledge of the situation and its history, and context-specific modeling.
The course is designed for students with the undergraduate-level training in microeconomics and an interest in advanced study and policy-oriented research in institution related areas.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
On completion of the course, students should be able to:
1. Demonstrate knowledge of the key theories of institutional economies and their applications;
2. Demonstrate an understanding of the analytical approaches (methodologies or techniques) used to study the issues relating to incentives and institutions;
3. Apply the theoretical and empirical techniques to constructively design and analyse related institutional change and its impact as well as public policy issues with respect to nurturing good institutions;
4. Carry out research on a topic explaining the cross-country differences in economic growth performance due to institutional constraints.
Other Information
Course outline
Week 1: Institutions, institutional change and economic performance: an introduction
Week 2: Institutional economics: theories and evidence
Week 3: Institutional approaches on economic change: methodology and applications
Week 4: Institutions in a historical perspective: the path to the modern economy
Week 5: Firms, transaction costs and market mechanisms: information and coordination
Week 6: Institutions, contracts and organizations: towards the institutional evolution
Week 7: Institutions and the role of the state: enforcement issues
Week 8: Competition, incentives and regulations: formal versus informal constraints
Week 9: Entrepreneurship, innovation and technological progress: adaptive versus allocative efficiency
Week 10: Institutions in economic transition: the comparative incentive features of different institutional regimes
Week 11: Ethical values and the working of institutions: a missing link?
Week 12: Institutions, history and development: a summary
Indicative Assessment
Research Essay 50%
Final Exam 50%
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Workload
One two-hour lecture and one one-hour tutorial per week.
Prescribed Texts
The primary textbook for this course is Institutions, Institutional Change and Economic Performance, Author: North, C. Douglass
Publisher: Cambridge University Press: Cambridge. Edition: First Edition, 1990
This book, however, will not provide the full reference of the materials covered in this course. The course material will also draw on the following books supplemented by journal articles and book chapters on the relevant issues.
North, Douglass C., 2005, Understanding the Process of Economic Change, Princeton University Press
Greif, Avner, 2006, Institutions and the Path to the Modern Economy, Cambridge University Press: Cambridge
Menard, Claude (ed.), 2000, Institutions, Contracts and Organizations, Edward Elgar: Cheltenham
Eggertsson, Trainn, 1990, Economic Behaviour and Institutions, Cambridge University Press: Cambridge
Kasper, Wolfgang and Manfred E. Streit, 1998, Institutional Economics: Social Order and Public Policy, Edward Elgar: Cheltenham
Assumed Knowledge
Assumed Knowledge: Advanced undergraduate-level microeconomics and econometrics.Fees
Tuition fees are for the academic year indicated at the top of the page.
If you are a domestic graduate coursework or international student you will be required to pay tuition fees. Tuition fees are indexed annually. Further information for domestic and international students about tuition and other fees can be found at Fees.
- Student Contribution Band:
- 3
- Unit value:
- 6 units
If you are an undergraduate student and have been offered a Commonwealth supported place, your fees are set by the Australian Government for each course. At ANU 1 EFTSL is 48 units (normally 8 x 6-unit courses). You can find your student contribution amount for each course at Fees. Where there is a unit range displayed for this course, not all unit options below may be available.
| Units | EFTSL |
|---|---|
| 6.00 | 0.12500 |
Course fees
- Domestic fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2019 | $4320 |
- International fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2019 | $5700 |
Offerings, Dates and Class Summary Links
ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.
Class summaries, if available, can be accessed by clicking on the View link for the relevant class number.
Second Semester
| Class number | Class start date | Last day to enrol | Census date | Class end date | Mode Of Delivery | Class Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8235 | 22 Jul 2019 | 29 Jul 2019 | 31 Aug 2019 | 25 Oct 2019 | In Person | View |