Institutions and Development: A Book Forum February 11, 2009

Hosted by: The Mercatus Center

The Social Change Project at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University presents a lecture by Mary Shirley, President of the Ronald Coase Institute. Dr. Shirley will discuss some of the ideas in her latest book, Institutions and Development, which argues that the largest constraints on development and economic growth in poor societies are their market-inhibiting norms and rules. She further argues that fundamental changes in these deeply rooted institutions do not happen because of outsiders’ money, advice, pressures, or even physical force, and that explains why foreign aid has not, and can not, improve institutions.

Mary Shirley is the President of the Ronald Coase Institute, a non-profit organization working to build the capacity of young scholars to analyze and overcome institutional problems in their own countries. She has worked for over 30 years in development, including over 20 years as a research manager in the World Bank. She is the author of numerous scholarly articles and books on institutional issues in economic development and is co-editor of the Handbook of New Institutional Economics. Dr. Shirley is also a cofounder and past president and board member of the International Society for New Institutional Economics (ISNIE).

SANDWICHES WILL BE PROVIDED

TO REGISTER OR FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE EMAIL

STAN TSIRULNIKOV
[email protected]

Official Website: http://www.mercatus.org/EventDetails.aspx?id=25824