This thesis treats the theory of Mancur Olson on the relationship between interest groups and growth and the empirical analyses regarding its validation. Mancur Olson has developed a comprehensive theory of economic growth that grounds on his 1965 published book The Logic of Collective Action....

In this paper we use an experimental approach to study the decisions of human subjects who are given cash incentives to solve a particular representative agent dynamic model widely studied in macroeconomics. In a representative agent dynamic model, an economy is modelled as a single decision...

This paper makes two contributions to the literature. First, it introduces a new, easily accessed and objective measure of the enforceability of contracts and the security of property rights. Second, it uses this measure to provide additional and more direct evidence about the importance of...

We present and test empirically a new theory of property and contract rights. Any incentive an autocrat has to respect such rights comes from his interest in future tax collections and national income and increases with his planning horizon. We find a compelling empirical relationship between...

Several noted economists briefly pay tribute to recently deceased Keynesian economist Dudley Dillard.

Agricultural products are normally underpriced and many types of urban production subsidized in developing countries. In developed countries agriculture normally shares in the system of subsidies, and in developed countries without comparative advantage in agriculture many farm products are...

This paper makes two contributions to the literature. First, it introduces a new, easily accessed and objective measure of the enforceability of contracts and the security of property rights. Second, it uses this measure to provide additional and more direct evidence about the importance of...

We present and test empirically a new theory of property and contract rights. Any incentive an autocrat has to respect such rights comes from his interest in future tax collections and national income and increases with his planning horizon. We find a compelling empirical relationship between...