Ronald Coase Institute: What's New

What's New

Coase Institute Alumni Conference in Sydney, Australia, August 27, 2025

Alumni, save the date!
The third annual alumni conference of the Coase Institute will be held at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia, on Wednesday, August 27, 2025. This event will immediately follow the SIOE 2025 meetings there. There will be research presentations by alumni plus lively conversations and networking, and the day will close with a gala dinner. Further details soon. See 2024 scenes and program here.

Inaugural Authors' Lecture in NIE Book Series

Douglas W. Allen and Bryan Leonard spoke about their forthcoming book, Why The Rush? An Institutional Analysis of Homesteading and the Settlement of the West, online Wednesday October 23, 2024. See details.

Coase Institute Call for Research Proposals

Early-career scholars are invited to submit proposals to the Coase Institute's new research grant program. Apply by November 4, 2024. See details.

NOW FREE: Advanced Introduction to New Institutional Economics

Advanced Introduction to New Institutional Economics by Claude Menard and Mary Shirley, published by Edward Elgar Publishers in 2022, is now available free. This book explores NIE’s answers to fundamental questions about the organization, growth, and development of economies. Why are some countries rich and others poor? Why are activities organized as firms or markets or through alternative organizational solutions? When are shared resources overexploited?

Download book here.

This book has been made free thanks to a donation made for that purpose in honor of the Ronald Coase Institute, with the hope that it will encourage additional donations to the Institute.

Inspired by Ronald Coase's faith in the power of excellent research and the potential of young scholars to change the way problems are viewed, the Institute works to build the capacity of outstanding young scholars around the world to do research on institutions in their own countries. It holds workshops and provides mentoring and support for nearly 700 alumni. To consider supporting the Institute's work, click on "Make a Gift" at page bottom. Donations of any size help the Institute further assist young scholars and research programs.

This book is Open Access, licensed under the Creative Common Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivatives 4.0 License.

Scott Gehlbach joins Coase Institute Board of Directors

Scott Gehlbach has joined the Board of Directors of the Ronald Coase Institute. Gehlbach is the Elise and Jack Lipsey Professor in the Department of Political Science, the Harris School of Public Policy, and the College at the University of Chicago. He has been a frequent faculty member at Coase Institute workshops, panels, and conferences. He is currently President-Elect of the Society for Institutional and Organizational Economics.

Scott Gehlbach

Webinar by Georgy Egorov

Georgy Egorov discussed his research into autocratic institutions during a Coase Institute webinar March 3, 2023. Michael Rochlitz was the commentator.

Georgy Egorov
Michael Rochlitz

|Webinar on Autocratic Institutions|

Book Series on New Institutional Economics with Cambridge University Press

The Ronald Coase Institute is inaugurating a lecture and book series on new institutional economics to be published by Cambridge University Press. The founding editors are Alexandra Benham, Lee Benham, and Mary Shirley. Inaugural volumes are underway by Gary Libecap and by Sebastian Galiani and Gustavo Torrens. See details.

Webinar by Mary Shirley and Claude Menard

Mary Shirley and Claude Menard discussed their recently published Advanced Introduction to New Institutional Economics during a Coase Institute webinar April 14, 2022. Philip Keefer was the commentator.

Mary Shirley
Claude Menard
Philip Keefer

|Webinar on Advanced Introduction to New Institutional Economics|

Webinar by Philip Keefer and Carlos Scartascini

Philip Keefer and Carlos Scartascini discussed the low levels of trust within Latin America and the consequences for social cohesion and development, during this Coase Institute webinar February 25, 2022. Gustavo Torrens was the interviewer.

Philip Keefer
Carlos Scartascini
Gustavo Torrens

|Webinar on Levels of Trust within Latin America - Measurement and Implications|

Advanced Introduction to New Institutional Economics

Advanced Introduction to New Institutional Economics, edited by Claude Menard and Mary Shirley, has been published by Elward Elgar Publishers. The book explores NIE’s answers to fundamental questions about the organization, growth, and development of economies. Why are some countries rich and others poor? Why are activities organized as firms or markets or through alternative organizational solutions? When are shared resources overexploited?

Faculty Receive Lifetime Awards at SIOE 2021

The Society for Institutional and Organizational Economics (SIOE) has awarded the 2021 Elinor Ostrom Lifetime Achievement Award to Avner Greif and to Gary Libecap for their sustained and significant contributions to institutional and organizational economics. Both have served as faculty in Coase Institute workshops.

Avner Greif
Gary Libecap

Webinar by David Skarbek

David Skarbek discussed the use of qualitative methods in the social sciences and why using them can be especially valuable for analyzing institutions, during this Coase Institute webinar September 23, 2021. A Q&A session followed.

David Skarbek

|Webinar on Using Qualitative Methods to Analyze Institutions|

Webinar by Sam Peltzman

Sam Peltzman discussed the editorial process that articles undergo when they are submtted to economics journals, with a detailed analysis of this process at The Journal of Law and Economics. In this April 22, 2021 webinar, he also discussed major trends that journal editors perceive currently, and offers his advice to young scholars. A Q&A session followed.

Sam Peltzman

|Webinar on Economics Journals: An Editor's View|

Mary Shirley in Podcast

Technology Policy Institute's podcast "Two Think Minimum" recently featured Mary Shirley on the role that institutions play in economic development. Speaking with Scott Wallsten and Sarah Oh of TPI, she discussed the importance of intellectual freedom and a vibrant marketplace for ideas.

Mary Shirley

See Podcast.

Webinar by Colin Xu

Colin Xu shared his philosophy for dealing with research challenges in a Coase Institute webinar, March 4, 2021. He offered insights from Zen to assist young scholars in finding their career path, moving along the path, and sustaining their drive. A Q&A session follows.

Colin Xu

|Webinar on Practicing Economics via Zen|

Webinar by Gary Libecap and Dean Lueck

Gary Libecap and Dean Lueck discussed their path-breaking research on land demarcation systems during the inaugural webinar of the Ronald Coase Institute, December 1, 2020. They also offered advice to young scholars on how to do good research. A Q&A session followed with the audience of workshop alumni and faculty.