Call for Papers: EHA 2021: Rules, Organizations, and Governments: Institutions and Economic History
Annual Meeting of the Economic History Association in Tucson, Arizona, September 10-12, 2021
The theme for EHA 2021 is “Rules, Organizations, and Governments: Institutions and Economic History.” Over the last two and a half centuries the economies of the world have dramatically transformed. Part of these transformations occurred in and resulted from technology, demography, and markets. Part of these transformations occurred in and resulted from institutions. The way societies organize themselves, in both public and private spheres, exhibits marked patterns across the range of developed and developing nations. While we know what the patterns are, as economic historians and social scientists generally, we have struggled to understand how the patterns developed or how we might induce the patterns of developed societies in developing (or undeveloped) societies. The program committee calls for papers that take a more granular approach to questions related to institutions, collective decision making, and rules that originate in organizations. Organizations ranging from families, to businesses, to governments (which are organizations of organizations) all adopt rules, whether they enforce them or not. How these rules and organizations interact determines the institutional structure of all societies. Proposed papers on all areas of economic history are welcome and graduate students are encouraged to attend.
The Program Committee, co-chaired by Howard Bodenhorn (Clemson University) and Eric Hilt (Wellesley), welcomes submissions on all subjects in economic history, though some preference will be given to papers that fit the theme of the conference. Papers should be submitted individually, but authors may suggest to the Committee that three particular papers fit well together in a panel. Papers should in all cases be works in progress rather than accepted or published work. Submitters should let the program committee know at the time of application if the paper they are proposing has already been submitted for publication. Individuals who presented or co-authored a paper given at the 2020 meeting are not eligible for inclusion in the 2021 program. Papers and session proposals should be submitted online, with the following submission form: