San Antonio, TX November 21-23, 2009 (Sat-Mon)

FEE Prize Winners for 2008

We are happy to announce the winners of the Foundation for Economic Education Prizes for Best Book and Best Paper in Austrian Economics for 2008:

Christopher Coyne:  After War, Stanford University Press 2008.

Christopher J. Coyne has written a book that combines the insights of the classical Austrian school of economics with the insights of the modern Austrian school, of which he himself is among the leading young practitioners, and applies them to the very important question of post-conflict reconstruction.  Example after example of failed post-conflict reconstructions point scholars in the direction of humility rather than hubris, and Chris's book makes an important and nuanced twin contribution.  First, Chris contributes to the discussion across a variety of scholarly disciplines.  His book is relevant not only to economists but to political scientists, philosophers, historians, and scholars across the social sciences and humanities.  His will stand as a lasting contribution to the literature on social change.

Peter Leeson:  "An-arrgh-chy: The Law and Economics of Pirate Organization." Journal of Political Economy 115(6) 2007: 1049-1094.

Peter T. Leeson's path-breaking paper on the economics and politics of pirates is important for several reasons, not the least of which is the fact that the recent resurgence of piracy along the African coast means that his research is of immediate consequence for policy makers.  The factors that merited publication of the paper in one of the discipline's most important outlets also merit the Award.  Peter Leeson has shown how cooperation can be sustained even when we make the worst of assumptions about individual motivations.  In the paper and in his broader research program, he has made an important contribution to positive political economy by showing how institutions that constrain opportunistic behavior can arise in the absence of externally-imposed order.  The broader policy implication of Peter's paper is also important.  By showing how order emerges even in the absence of goodwill, Peter has undermined the normative justification for the state.  Peter's paper is an important step toward understanding both how societies change and the conditions that are conducive to human flourishing.

SDAE Sessions at Eastern Economics Association Meetings

For more information, contact Doug MacKenzie. The meetings are in New York City, February 27 to March 1, 2009.

Session Title: The Recent Financial Crisis

Session Chair and Organizer: DW MacKenzie (The Coast Guard Academy)
Joe Salerno (Pace University)
Hugh Rockoff (Rutgers University)
Murray Sabrin (Ramapo College)
Greg Demspter (Hampden-Sydney College)

Session Title: Alternative Views of Capital

"Austrian Business Cycle Theory in Light of Schutz’s Gradations of Ideal Types" Gene Callahan (Cardiff University) and Steven Horwitz (St. Lawrence University)
"The Capital Controversy in Historical Perspective" Gary Mongiovi (St Johns)
"Capital and Income in Democratic Socialism" DW MacKenzie (The Coast Guard Academy)

Discussants: Gene Callahan and Gary Mongiovi

Session Title: Capital, Taxes, and Entrepreneurship Capital Goods and Capital Markets

"Auctions of Capital Goods: Entrepreneurial Plans and Inferences of the Winners Curse" John Bratland (Dept of the Interior)
"Taxes, Capital, and Jobs" Mason Gaffney (UC Riverside)
"Tax Competition and Hayek’s International Order" DW MacKenzie (The Coast Guard Academy)

Discussants: John Bratland, Mason Gaffney

Session Title: Human Action: different perspectives after sixty years

Session Organizer and Chair: DW MacKenzie (The Coast Guard Academy)
Panelists:
Israel Kirzner (NYU, Emeritus)
Richard Ebeling (Trinity College)
Joe Salerno (Pace University)
Patrick Gunning (Bryant University)

Theory of the Firm and Entrepreneurship

Session Organizer and Chair: DW MacKenzie (The Coast Guard Academy)
"The Economic Organization of Political Entrepreneurship" Peter Klein (University of Missouri)
"Economic Calculation and Limitless Organization" Doug MacKenzie (The Coast Guard Academy)
TBA Roger Koppl (Farleigh Dickinson University)

Discussants: Richard N Langlois (University of Connecticut), Peter Klein

Don Lavoie Memorial Graduate Student Essay Competition Winners

This year's winners are:

Adam Martin
George Mason University

"Critical Realism and the Austrian Paradox"

 David Howden
Universidad Rey Juan Carlos

"Uncertainty and Decision-making: Toward a Tractable Framework"

 Emily Schaeffer
George Mason University

"Mixed Income Development Housing: What’s Left in Neighborhood Economic Planning"

This year's prize committee consisted of:

Peter Boettke, George Mason University
Steven Horwitz, St. Lawrence University
David Prychitko, Northern Michigan University
Emily Chamlee-Wright, Beloit College
Virgil Storr, Director of Graduate Student Programs, Mercatus Center at George Mason University

Spring Colloquium Schedules

forthcoming

SDAE Listserv Information

The Society is happy to announce the creation of a scholarly listserv devoted to the Austrian school of economics. The "AustrianEcon" listserv is devoted to the ideas of the Austrian school of economics and related contributions to the understanding of human action and its consequences.  We aim for as broad a discussion as possible across any disciplines or schools of thought that relate to Austrian economics.  It must be emphasized that the listserv is not a forum for political discussion except to the degree that such issues have a direct connection to the scholarly contributions of the Austrian school both past and present.

Membership in the list is subject to the approval of the list manager.  Membership will be limited to those affiliated with universities, think-tanks, or other scholarly/intellectual organizations.  Exceptions for those not so affiliated will be granted on a case-by-case basis at the discretion of the list manager.  SDAE members are automatically eligible for membership. You can request to join the list by emailing the list manager Steve Horwitz at sghorwitz@stlawu.edu .

We strongly encourage members to use the list as a vehicle for the dissemination of their current scholarship.  In particular, discussion of working papers is a very valuable use of the listserv.  Any members wishing to make a paper available for discussion should contact the list manager and the paper will be posed at the SDAE website for list members to access.  Austrian analyses of current contributions to the mainstream economics literature are also strongly encouraged as is discussion of current work in related disciplines (e.g., evolutionary psychology, political science, history, etc.) or traditions in economics (e.g., constitutional political economy, public choice, or various heterodox schools etc.) of which members might be less aware.

AustrianEcon is a moderated listserv.  All messages require approval of the list manager.

Review of Austrian Economics