Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization, 2011, Vol. 79, No. 1-2, pp. 3-19This paper surveys alternative approaches to the emergence and evolution of institutions. The challenge is to develop frameworks capable of capturing both stability and change. We follow a “descaling” approach to show how founding assumptions about economics—namely, alternative assumptions about individual rationality and the role of social efficiency—influence our understanding of the drivers of institutional evolution. We then contrast two families of institutional theory. In the first, institutions are viewed as rules imposed on individuals and the focus is on the strategic games among coalitions that aim to promote or block new rules. In the second, institutions are viewed as shared beliefs; here the idea is to analyze how equilibria that are self-enforcing (in terms of mutual expectations about others’ behaviors) can collapse and so induce switching to another equilibrium. Finally, we discuss the political economy literature that examines institutional transitions to a market economy, and we identify long-term drivers as well as short-term political barriers to institutional reforms.
The European Union is strongly urbanised, with 432 urban nodes identified. This vast array of urban hubs has a significant economic and geographical value. Urban nodes are critical to the [...]
Reducing carbon emission in the wastewater treatment sector requires both lower energy consumption and a transition towards renewable energy sources. Utilizing the embedded energy in wastewater, which has been traditionally [...]
In this report, we focus on the fundamentals of energy and climate policy as reformulated in the EU Green Deal. The 2024 edition of this report includes updates following the [...]
The European Commission’s Communication directed to consumers regarding the Green Transition does not emphasise their shared responsibility. Instead, the Commission puts the emphasis on empowering consumers to make green choices. [...]
This article provides an overview of the most relevant cases decided by the Court of Justice of the European Union concerning contract law. The present issue covers the period between [...]
This article provides an overview of the most relevant cases decided by the Court of Justice of the European Union concerning contract law. The present issue covers the period between [...]
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