The Evolution of Path Dependence

by Lars Magnusson (Editor), Jan Ottosson (Editor)

Overview

The notion and interpretation of path dependence have been discussed and utilized in various social sciences during the last two decades. This innovative book provides significant new insights onto how the different applications of path dependence have developed and evolved.

The authors suggest that there has been a definite evolution from applications of path dependence in the history of technology towards other fields of social science. They also discuss the various definitions of path dependence (strong or weak) and explore the potential applications of path dependence in new areas such as political economy and economic geography.

With new perspectives on how the debate surrounding path dependence has evolved, this book will strongly appeal to postgraduate students and scholars of economic history, economic geography, political science and business studies.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781843761372
Publisher:	Edward Elgar Publishing
Publication date:	09/30/2009
Series:	New Horizons in Institutional and Evolutionary Economics series
Pages:	240
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.30(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Edited by Lars Magnusson, Professor of Economic History, Department of Economic History, Uppsala University, Sweden and Jan Ottosson, Associate Professor, Department of Economic History, Uppsala University, Sweden

Table of Contents

Contents:

Path Dependence: Some Introductory Remarks
Lars Magnusson and Jan Ottosson

1. Path Dependence versus Path-breaking Crises: An Alternative View
Bo Stråth

2. Second-degree Path Dependence: Information Costs, Political Objectives, and Inappropriate Small-farm Settlement of the North American Great Plains
Gary D. Libecap

3. Revisiting Railway History: The Case of Institutional Change and Path Dependence
Lena Andersson-Skog

4. Path Dependence in Economic Geography
Magnus Lagerholm and Anders Malmberg

5. The Deceptive Juncture: The Temptation of Attractive Explanations and the Reality of Political Life
PerOla Öberg and Kajsa Hallberg Adu

6. The Role of Institutions and Organizations in Shaping Radical Scientific Innovations
Rogers Hollingsworth

7. Path Dependence and Public Policy: Lessons from Economics
Stephen E. Margolis

8. Can Path Dependence Explain Institutional Change? Two Approaches Applied to Welfare State Reform
Bernhard Ebbinghaus

Index