Readings in Development Economics, Vol. 1: Micro-Theory

Volume I of this two-volume set focuses on theoretical work.

These two volumes of readings attempt to bring some degree of structure to a relatively diffuse field. Because of the sheer volume of high-quality work in development economics research, they are intended as a sampling of work at the frontier of the field, rather than as a comprehensive overview.Volume I: Micro-Theory focuses on theoretical work. Topics covered include sharecropping as a principle-agent problem, fragmented duopolies, credit market imperfections, poverty traps, peer monitoring in credit cooperatives, coordination failures, human capital accumulation as an engine of growth, and environmental issues in development.

Pranab Bardhan is Professor of Economics at the University of California, Berkeley. He is the author of Scarcity, Conflicts, and Cooperation (MIT Press, 2004) and coeditor (with Christopher Udry) of Readings in Development Microeconomics, Volumes I and II (MIT Press, 2000).