Reputation, Evolution and Growth

这项研究旨在为理解经济制度的出现和后果及其对增长的影响提供一个连贯的框架。机构如何运作，哪些机构将蓬勃发展？是什么社会规范支撑着这些机构？技术是否会对机构产生影响？如何影响？这个项目将从理论上、历史上和实验室中解决这些问题。这项研究将特别关注两个制度：声誉和知识产权。代理在促进贸易和生产方面发挥着关键作用。声誉反过来又取决于信息流。我们目前的理论工作表明，有效的声誉需要信息既不太少，也不太多。这一理论将在实验室详细阐述并接受审查。现代机构增长和创新的第二个关键是知识产权。这也是一个值得仔细审查的机构。专利会降低贸易保密性吗？知识产权是通过增加激励来加强创新，还是使现有想法难以建立？本研究将从理论和实证两个方面寻求这些问题的答案。

This research aims to provide a coherent framework for understanding the emergence and consequences of economic institutions and their impact on growth. How do institutions function and which ones will thrive? What social norms support these institutions? Does technology impact institutions, and how? This project will address these issues theoretically, historically, and in the laboratory. This study will particularly focus on two institutions: reputation and intellectual property.Reputation serves a key role in enhancing trade and production. Reputation, in turn, depends upon information flows. Our current theoretical work shows that effective reputations require that there neither be too little information - nor too much. This theory will be elaborated and subject to scrutiny in the laboratory.A second key to modern institutions' growth and innovation is intellectual property. This, too, is an institution deserving of scrutiny. Do patents lead to less trade secrecy? Does IP enhance innovation by increasing incentives, or does it make it difficult to build on existing ideas? This study will pursue both theoretical and empirical answers to these questions.