The Political Economy of Institutions

3 credits · Graduate

Provides survey of institutional analysis, focusing on recent developments in economics, political science and legal studies. Emphasis on analysis of institutional change and functions of institutions. Explores mechanisms by which constitutions, laws, customs and conventions undergo transformations. Topics include pace of institutional transformation, latent change, social inertia, political revolutions, links between beliefs/behaviors, and social functions of laws, customs and conventions. Readings and case studies reflect the interdisciplinary characteristic of field. Prerequisite or Corequisite: Economics 701D or Economics 601D or instructor consent.