The New Institutional Economics and Development: Theory and Applications to Tunisia (Contributions to Economic Analysis)

The New Institutional Economics (NIE) and its two main branches, namely, the theory of transaction cost and contractual choice on the one hand, and that of collective action on the other, broaden the analytical framework of mainstream economics. In doing so the NIE attempts to explain the institutional phenomena which, although almost universally recognised as important, have previously eluded the group of economists. This book is concerned with the NIE and its possible application to Development Economics. It has two specific objectives. The first is to show the relevance and assess the applicability of the principles and insights of the NIE to the analysis of the problems of the LDC's. The second is to provide another set of applications and empirical investigations of the NIE. By combining the relevant theoretical background with applications, the book is self-contained and presented in such a way as to be accessible to each of the following types of reader: (1) development economists and practitioners (2) readers interested in institutions and the NIE (3) regional specialists in North Africa and in countries such as Tunisia and (4) those interested in political economy. Content: The new institutional economics and economic development : an introduction / M.K. Nabli and J.B. Nugent -- Transaction cost economics and contractual choice : theory and evidence / S.K. Datta and J.B. Nugent -- Collective action, institutions and development / M.K. Nabli and J.B. Nugent -- The switch to sharecropping in Medjez-el-bab / M.S. Matoussi and J.B. Nugent -- Contractual choice in Tunisian fishing / M. Azabou, L. Bouźaïane and J.B. Nugent -- Tax farming : anachronism or optimal contract? (An illustration with respect to Tunisia's weekly markets) / M. Azabou and J.B. Nugent -- The size distribution and ownership type of firms in Tunisian manufacturing / M.K. Nabli, J.B. Nugent and L. Doghri. The craft guilds of Tunis and their Amins : a study in institutional atrophy / T. Kuran -- Educational change and the Ulama in the 19th and early 20th centuries / A. Bsaies -- Collective action in Tunisia's producer organizations : some variations on the Olsonian theme / J.B. Nugent -- Collective action and governance structure in Tunisia's labor organization / A. Zouari -- The wholesale produce market of Tunis and its porters : a tale of market degeneration / M. Azabou, T. Kuran and M.K. Nabli -- The political economy of interest rate determination in Tunisia / M.Z. Bechri -- An interest group analysis of Tunisia's state enterprises / A. Grissa -- A new paradigm for the study of economic development / B. Herrick -- The new institutional economics and development : concluding remarks / M.K. Nabli and J.B. Nugent. Edited By Mustapha K. Nabli, Jeffrey B. Nugent. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.