Research
Journal Articles
“The Importance of Choice: Catfish Man of the Woods Theory of Development.” Social Philosophy & Policy, forthcoming.
“Individualism and Racial Tolerance.” Public Choice, 197: 347-370.
“Brain Gains: A Cross-Country Study on the Association between Remittances and Entrepreneurship.” 2023. (with Joshua K. Bedi and Shaomeng Jia). International Journal of Small Business and Entrepreneurship, 49(1): 32-63.
“Individualism and Women’s Economic Rights.” 2022. (with Lewis Davis). Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization, 198: 579-597.
“Are Economic Arguments Against Immigration Missing the Boat? The Fiscal Effect of the Mariel Boatlift.” 2022. (with Lili Yao and J. Brandon Bolen). Southern Economic Journal, 89(2): 305-325.
“Trust, Regulation and Market Efficiency.”
(with Brandon N. Cline and Haoyang Xiong)
Public Choice, 2022, 190: 427-456.
“Culture and the Regulation of Insider Trading across Countries.”
(with Brandon N. Cline and Haoyang Xiong)
Journal of Corporate Finance, 2021, 67, 101917.
(with Lili Yao and J. Brandon Bolen)
Public Choice, 2021, 189, 427-463.
“Grading Foreign Aid Agencies: Best Practices Across Traditional and Emerging Donors.”
(with Liya Palagashvili)
Review of Development Economics, 2021, 25: 654– 676
“Culture, Democracy and Regulation.”
Constitutional Political Economy, 2021
“Cultural Roots of Family Ties.”
(with Lewis Davis)
Journal of Institutional Economics, 2020
“Trust, Regulation and Contracting Institutions.”
(with Brandon N. Cline)
European Financial Management, 2020
“Are Aid Agencies Changing their Practices?”
(with Liya Palagashvili)
Journal of International Development, 2020
Review of Austrian Economics, 2020
2019 Presidential Address Society for the Development of Austrian Economics Annual Meeting
"Does Individualism Promote Gender Equality?"
(with Lewis Davis)
World Development, 2019
“An Empirical Examination of Institutions and Cross-Country Incarceration Rates.”
(with Daniel J. D’Amico)
Public Choice, 2019
“Aid, Policies and Growth: Why So Much Confusion?”
(with Shaomeng Jia)
Contemporary Economic Policy, 2019
*2019 co-Best Article Award
“The Path of Reform: The Consequences of Institutional Volatility.”
(with J. Brandon Bolen)
Kyklos, 2019
“The Punitive Consequences of Organizational Structures in England, France and the United States.”
(with Daniel J. D’Amico)
Journal of Institutional Economics, 2019
“Open Borders for Business? Causes and Consequences of the Regulation of Foreign Entry.” 2018
(with Lewis Davis)
Southern Economic Journal, 2018
“Is Human Trafficking the Dark Side of Economic Freedom?”
(with L. Heller, R. Lawson, and R. Murphy)
Defense and Peace Economics, 2018
“Individualism, Democracy and Contract Enforcement.” 2017
(with Brandon N. Cline)
Journal of Corporate Finance, 2018
Journal of Private Enterprise, 2017
“Trust and the Regulation of Corporate Self-Dealing.”
(with Brandon N. Cline)
Journal of Corporate Finance, 2016
*2015 Financial Management Association Best Paper Award Semi-Finalist
“Culture and the Regulation of Entry.”
(with Lewis Davis)
Journal of Comparative Economics, 2016
“Can Foreign Aid Free the Press?”
(with Nabamita Dutta)
Journal of Institutional Economics, 2016
“Aiding Economic Freedom: Exploring the Role of Political Institutions.”
(with Nabamita Dutta)
European Journal of Political Economy, 2016
“The Relationship between Income, Economic Freedom, and BMI.”
(with Robert Lawson and Ryan Murphy)
Public Health, 2016
“Do Legal Origins Affect Cross-Country Incarceration Rates?” 2015
(with Daniel J. D’Amico)
Journal of Comparative Economics, 2015
“Foreign Aid and the Culture of Contracting.”
(with Christopher Coyne)
Eastern Economic Journal, 2015
“(Non?) Profits to the Rescue.”
Studies in Emergent Order, 2014
“The Amplification Effect: Foreign Aid’s Impact on Political Institutions.”
(with Peter Leeson and Nabamita Dutta)
Kyklos, 2013
“Disentangling Institutional Determinants of Entrepreneurship.”
American Journal of Entrepreneurship, 2013
(with Peter Leeson and Matt Ryan)
Journal of Comparative Economics, 2012
“Discovering Law: Hayekian Competition in Medieval Iceland.”
(with Carrie B. Kerekes)
Griffith Law Review, 2012
“Introduction: Ideas Matter—The Relevance of Deirdre McCloskey’s Bourgeois Society.”
Journal of Socio-Economics, 2012
“Dignity and Development.”
Journal of Socio-Economics, 2012
“Elderly Migration and Education Spending: Intergenerational Conflict Revisited.”
(with Mehmet Serkan Tosun and Pavel Yakovlev)
Public Budgeting and Finance, 2012
“Trade Openness and Cultural Creative Destruction.”
(with Christopher J. Coyne)
Journal of Entrepreneurship and Public Policy, 2012
“Securing Private Property: Formal versus Informal Institutions.”
(with Carrie B. Kerekes)
Journal of Law and Economics, 2011
“Rhetoric versus Reality: The Best and Worst of Aid Agency Practices.”
(with William Easterly)
World Development, 2011
“Economic Freedom, Culture and Growth.”
(with Rachel Mathers)
Public Choice, 2011
“Cultural Context: The Productivity of Capitalism.”
(with Rachel Mathers)
Kyklos, 2011
Journal of Private Enterprise, 2011
*Winner of Association of Private Enterprise Education Best Paper Award
“Disagreement Between Direct and Overall Liberty: Even Less Troubling than Suggested?”
Reason Papers, 2011
“Propertyless in Peru, Even With a Government Land Title.”
(with Carrie B. Kerekes)
American Journal of Economics and Sociology, 2010
“Exploring the Failure of Foreign Aid: The Role of Incentives and Information.”
Review of Austrian Economics, 2010
“Anarchy and Development: An Application of the Theory of Second Best.”
(with Peter T. Leeson)
Law and Development Review, 2009
“Informal Institutions Rule: Institutional Arrangements and Economic Performance.”
Public Choice, 2009
“The (Lack of) Impact of Government Land Titling: Case Study Evidence from Rural Peru.” 2008
(with Carrie B. Kerekes)
Revista de Economía y Derecho, 2008
“Unveiling de Soto’s Mystery: Property Rights, Capital, and Development.”
(with Carrie B. Kerekes)
Journal of Institutional Economics, 2008
“Foreign Aid and Human Development: The Impact of Foreign Aid to the Health Sector.”
Southern Economic Journal, 2008
“Is Codification of Informal Property Institutions Necessary for Economic Development?” 2006
(with Carrie B. Kerekes)
Journal for the New Europe, 2006
Working Papers
“State Antiquity and Economic Progress: Cause or Consequence?” (with M. Scott King). 2023.
“Economic Freedom and Women’s Rights.” 2023.
“Do Culture and Law Interact to Determine Business Regulation?” (with Lewis Davis). 2023.
“War and Women’s Rights.” 2023.
“Uncertainty Abroad: Does Ancestral Distance affect U.S. Multinational Enterprise Activity?” (with Brandon N. Cline). (Accepted for presentation at 2017 SEA, 2019 APEE). 2021.
“Egalitarian Institutions and the Gender Labor Force Gap.” (with Daniel L. Bennett, Matthew Bonick, Nicholas Reinarts). (Accepted for presentation at 2020 APEE). 2020.
Books
Lessons on Foreign Aid and Economic Development: Micro and Macro Perspectives.
Dutta, Nabamita, Claudia R. Williamson (eds.),
Palgrave Macmillan, 2019.
Promoting Prosperity in Mississippi.
Cline, Brandon N., Russell S. Sobel, and Claudia R. Williamson (eds.),
Mississippi State, MS: Mississippi State University Institute for Market Studies, 2018.
Book Chapters
“Cheering for Capitalism” (with Peter T. Leeson). In Jonathan Imber, ed. Anthem Companion to Peter Berger. New York: Anthem Press, forthcoming.
“Why are Taxes so Taxing?” in Adam Hoffer, Russell S. Sobel, Nabamita Dutta, and Scott Niederjohn, eds.,
Onward Wisconsin: Unleashing Capitalism with Common Sense Public Policy. La Crosse, WI: University of Wisconsin - La Crosse Menard Family Initiative, forthcoming.
“Make Business Taxes More Competitive.” in Adam Hoffer, Russell S. Sobel, Nabamita Dutta, and Scott Niederjohn, eds.,
Onward Wisconsin: Unleashing Capitalism with Common Sense Public Policy. La Crosse, WI: University of Wisconsin - La Crosse Menard Family Initiative, forthcoming.
“Aid Allocation and Outcomes: What Role Do Political Motives Play?”, Chapter 7,
in Nabamita Dutta and Claudia R. Williamson, eds.,
Lessons on Foreign Aid and Economic Development: Micro and Macro Perspectives.
Palgrave Macmillan, 2019.
“Can Foreign Aid Promote Political and Economic Freedom?”, Chapter 10,
in Nabamita Dutta and Claudia R. Williamson, eds.,
Lessons on Foreign Aid and Economic Development: Micro and Macro Perspectives.
Palgrave Macmillan, 2019.
“Why are Taxes so Taxing?” (with Brandon N. Cline), Chapter 4,
in Brandon N. Cline, Russell S. Sobel, and Claudia R. Williamson, eds.,
Promoting Prosperity in Mississippi.
Mississippi State, MS: Mississippi State University Institute for Market Studies, 2018.
“Make Business Taxes More Competitive.” (with Brandon N. Cline), Chapter 5,
in Brandon N. Cline, Russell S. Sobel, and Claudia R. Williamson, eds.,
Promoting Prosperity in Mississippi.
Mississippi State, MS: Mississippi State University Institute for Market Studies, 2018.
“Incentive-Based Compensation and Economic Growth.” (with Brandon N. Cline), Chapter 7,
in Brandon N. Cline, Russell S. Sobel, and Claudia R. Williamson, eds.,
Promoting Prosperity in Mississippi.
Mississippi State, MS: Mississippi State University Institute for Market Studies, 2018.
“Can International Aid Improve Health?” (with Christopher J. Coyne), Chapter 20,
in Garrett Brown, Gavin Yamey and Sarah Wamala, eds.,
The Handbook of Global Health Policy, Wiley-Blackwell, May 2014.
“Culture and Freedom.” (with Rachel Coyne)
in Joshua C. Hall, ed., Annual Proceedings of the Wealth and Well-Being of Nations, Volume 6 (Beloit College Press), 2013-2014.
“Can’t We All Just Get Along? Fractionalization, Institutions, and Economic Consequences.” (with Peter T. Leeson)
in Christopher J. Coyne and Rachel Mathers, eds.,
The Handbook on the Political Economy of War. Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar, 2011.
“The Two Sides of de Soto: Property Rights, Land Titling, and Development.”
in Emily Chamlee-Wright, ed.,
Annual Proceedings of the Wealth and Well-Being of Nations, Volume 2 (Beloit College Press), 2009-2010.
“Retirees and Economic Development in West Virginia.” (with Mehmet Tosun, Arzu Sen, and Pavel Yakovlev),
in Pavel E. Gordeev, ed., Demographic Economics Research Perspectives.
Hauppauge, NY: Nova Publishers, 2008.
“The Cultural Opposition to Capitalism: Mythbusting Through Our Past.”
in Russell S. Sobel, ed.,
Unleashing Capitalism: Why Prosperity Stops at the West Virginia State Line, and How to Fix It.
Morgantown, WV: Center for Economic Growth, The Public Policy Foundation of West Virginia, 2007.
Book Reviews
Review of Alex Nowrasteh and Benjamin Powell.,
Wretched Refuse?: The Political Economy of Immigration and Institutions.
Public Choice, 2022, 190: 505-508.
Review of Daron Acemoglu and James A. Robinson,
The Narrow Corridor: States, Societies, and the Fate of Liberty. 2019.
The Independent Review, 26(1).
The Tyranny of Experts: Economists, Dictators, and the Forgotten Rights of the Poor. 2015.
Public Choice, 163(3/4): 405-408.
Review of Timothy Besley and Torsten Person,
Pillars of Prosperity: The Political Economics of Development Clusters. 2012.
Public Choice, 153(1/2): 253-255.
Review of Samia Waheed Altaf,
So Much Aid, So Little Development: Stories from Pakistan. 2011.
Regional Studies, 45(9): 1289-1290.
Review of Edward J. Lopez, ed.
The Pursuit of Justice: Law and Economics of Legal Institutions. 2011.
Public Choice, 146(1/2): 265-267.
Stifling Political Competition: How Government Has Rigged the System to Benefit Demopublicans and Exclude Third Parties. 2009.
Public Choice, 141(3): 527-529.