The Institutional and Social Dynamics of Growth and Distribution

Call for Papers

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Objective
Since Adam Smith, social and economic institutions have been considered as exerting a significant influence on the historical patterns of growth and distribution of nations. More recently, economists have also emphasized that the process of growth and distribution in turn shape the evolution of institutions. Growth and distribution are lenses through which we can investigate the complex interplay of the birth, the life, and the decline of social and economic institutions. And institutional and social dynamics, in turn, are important elements in comprehending the interaction between growth and distribution.
The goal of this Conference is to provide a forum for the presentation and discussion of different approaches to the issues of the institutional and social dynamics of growth and distribution, with all the theoretical, empirical, historical, and methodological implications.

Topics
Conference topics will include any aspect of the relationships among (i) institutions and social dynamics, (ii) growth and development, and (iii) distribution, particularly as these are manifest in

public versus private sector issues
knowledge, human capital, and intellectual property,
financial markets
international/regional dimensions,
demography
environmental sustainability
governance

Both the theoretical, methodological, and the empirical aspects, including historical perspectives, are of interest.

Submitting a Paper
A combination of invited and submitted papers will be chosen for the final program. Submissions of whole sessions are welcome. The submissions will be reviewed by a Scientific Committee consisting of:

Sam Bowles (Santa Fe Institute, USA, and Università di Siena, Italy)
David de la Croix (Université catholique de Louvain, Belgium)
Oded Galor (Brown University, USA, and Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel)
Neri Salvadori (University of Pisa, Italy)
Stephen J. Turnovsky (University of Washington, USA)

It is planned to publish selections of papers in a special issue of Metroeconomica and a larger selection in a volume with a major publisher. Papers that will be published in Metroeconomica will meet its standards. All papers will be made available on the Internet until the end of the Conference.
A dedicated software, Conference Maker, will be used for paper submission and program management through the site http://zeus.econ.umd.edu/conference/SDGD2007. All details are available in the site of the Conference: http://growth-institutions.ec.unipi.it/

Deadline
Submission of a no more than 1500 words abstract (if possible, jointly with the whole paper) should be submitted before September 15. Authors will receive notification of acceptance by September 30. The whole papers are to be submitted within October 30. Registration must be conpleted within October 30.

Attendance and Fees
The Conference fees of € 220 will cover meals (two dinner, two lunches, all coffee-breaks) and printed material. They might also cover accommodation for a number of nights for Ph.D. students coming from selected countries. All participants will be required to provide for their own expenses; details on accommodation opportunities will be provided. A late submission fee of € 300 allows to attend the Conference, but does not allow inclusion into the program.