Call for Papers
V Meeting of the Political Economy Network
Cartagena, Colombia, September 25-26, 2003

The aim of the Political Economy Group (PEG) of the Latin American and Caribbean Economic Association (LACEA) is to promote the scholarly discussion of issues related to the functioning of the markets and the performance of the State, in the framework of the theory of political economy. In particular, the PEG has focused on topics such as institutional building and evolution, democratic and political processes, policy and decision making, and the production and performance of regulation.

Previous meetings of the PEG have promoted the discussion of papers related to the underpinnings of the so-called first and second generation of reforms and the economic challenges of the new millennium. Although not exclusively related to the region, the accepted contributions are thought to be relevant for understanding the most demanding problems of Latin America and the Caribbean.

This meeting of the PEG aims to attract a group of papers that helps understanding the events that characterized the turbulent previous decade, address the demanding questions of the present and focus on the fertile field of political economy in the region. Papers will be judged on their academic merit and relevance, as well as on the rigor of the theoretical and empirical approaches undertaken, and a broader set of issues will be welcome.

The Political Economy Group of LACEA was created precisely to attempt to build the interdisciplinary bridges which might help us better understand the performance of polities and economies, and the details of the workings of specific institutions and policy frameworks in specific polities. In its Fifth Meeting, to take place in Cartagena (Colombia) on September 25-26, we will attempt to foster a better understanding of the ways in which the workings of political institutions impact on the properties of economic and other policies. The political institutions we will focus on include legislatures, courts, political parties, executives, the institutions of federalism and the workings of the public service. Studies of specific Latin American countries as well as comparative institutional analyses are especially welcome.

This workshop is possible thanks to a grant provided by LACEA to Universidad de los Andes, in order to support the Political Economy Network. The funds come from the Regional Consortia capacity building program financed by the World Bank Development Grant Facility. Juan Carlos Echeverry, Mauricio Cardenas, and Fabio Sánchez (Universidad de Los Andes); and Mariano Tommasi (Universidad de San Andres and Center of Studies for Institutional Development) will organize the workshop. In addition to two invited papers by well-known international scholars, we expect to have ten additional papers, determined through a competitive selection process. The organization has some funds to partially finance travel expenses of those participants not able to obtain complete funding from their own sources.

If you are interested in submitting a paper, please do so no later than August 6th, 2003. The selection process will be completed by August 20th, 2003. Strict compliance with the submission deadline is necessary in order to apply for financial support.

Papers should be sent to:

Ricardo Kerguelén
Facultad de Economía
Universidad de Los Andes
Carrera 1 No. 18a-10
Bogota D.C., Colombia
Ph. (571) 3324494
Fax (571) 3324492
rkerguel@uniandes.edu.co

Electronic submissions are encouraged.