Bio

Avner Greif is Professor of Economics and Bowman Family Endowed Professor in Humanities and Sciences at Stanford. His research interests include European economic history: the historical development of economic institutions, their interrelations with political, social and cultural factors and their impact on economic growth. Some of his publications are: Institutions and the Path to the Modern Economy: Lessons from Medieval Trade, Cambridge University Press (March 2006); Impersonal Exchange without Impartial Law: The Community Responsibility System, Chicago Journal of International Law (2004); How Do Self-enforcing Institutions Endogenously Change? Institutional Reinforcement and Quasi-Parameters (with David Laitin), the American Political Science Review (2003); Analytic Narratives, Oxford University Press, 1998. Avner Greif received his Ph. D. in economics from Northwestern University, and his B.A. in economics and history - from Tel Aviv University.

Academic Appointments

Honors & Awards

  • Montias Prize for Comparative Economic Studies, Journal of Comparative Economics (2013)
  • Invited Speaker, IEA Annual Meeting, Beijing (2011)
  • Member, Executive Committee of the International Economic Association (2011)
  • Keynote Address, Association for the Study of Religion, Economics, and Culture (2010)
  • Alumni Merit Award, Northwestern University (2009)
  • Gyorgi Ranki Biennial Prize, Economic History Association (2007)
  • Veblen 150 Prize, Association for Evolutionary Economics European Association for Evolutionary Political Economy (2007)
  • Scientific Advisory Board, program on Institutions, Markets, and Technologies at Lucca Institute for Advanced Studies (2007)
  • Fellowshio, Stanford Humanities Center (2001-2002)
  • Fellow, Center for Advanced Studies in Behavioral Sciences, Stanford (1993)
  • National Fellow, Hoover Institution (1992)
  • Honorary Doctorate, University of Utrecht (2013)
  • Fellow, American Academy of Arts and Sciences (2004)
  • Fellow, Econometrics Society (1997)
  • Fellow, MacArthur Foundation (1998-2003)
  • Fellow, CIFAR (2005 -)

Boards, Advisory Committees, Professional Organizations

  • Editorial Board, Journal of Comparative Economics (2010 - Present)
  • Scientific Advisory Board, European Review of Economic History (2010 - Present)
  • Board of editors, Journal of Legal Analysis (2008 - Present)
  • International Advisory Board, Journal of Institutional Economics (2003 - Present)
  • Editorial Board, The Journal of Economic Literature (2003 - 2006)
  • Editorial Board, The Journal of Economic History (1996 - 2000)
  • Editorial Board, The Economic Journal (1996 - 2000)
  • Editorial Board, European Review of Economic History (2001 - Present)
  • Co-editor, Comparative Institutional Analysis series for MIT Press (1997 - Present)
  • Co-editor, Economics, Cognition, and Society series for The University of Michigan press (2013 - Present)
  • Advisory Board, Stanford University (2004 - 2005)
  • Member, Committee on Islamic Studies (2004 - 2004)
  • Finance Committee, Stanford University Board of Trustees (2002 - 2004)
  • Advisory Board, Social Science History Institute (1997 - Present)
  • Advisory Committee, Overseas Program (1995 - 1997)
  • Subcommittee, Paris Campus Review (1995 - 1996)

Professional Education

  • Ph.D., Northwestern University, Economics (1989)
  • M.A., Northwestern University, Economics (1988)
  • M.A., Tel Aviv University, History of the Jewish People (1985)
  • B.A., Tel Aviv University, Economics and History of the Jewish People (Double Major) (1981)

Contact

  • Academic
    avner@stanford.edu
    University - Emeritus faculty Department: Economics Position: Emeritus Faculty, Acad Council
    • Department of Economics
    • Landau Economics Building
    • 579 Serra Mall
    • Stanford,  California  94305 
    (650) 725-5702 (fax)

Additional Info

  • Mail Code: 6072

Links

Current Research and Scholarly Interests

European economic history: the historical development of economic institutions, their interrelations with political, social and cultural factors and their impact on economic growth.

2023-24 Courses

All Publications

  • Cognitive rules, institutions, and economic growth: Douglass North and beyond JOURNAL OF INSTITUTIONAL ECONOMICS Greif, A., Mokyr, J. 2017; 13 (1): 25-52

    View details for DOI 10.1017/S1744137416000370

    View details for Web of Science ID 000395412500002

  • The clan and the corporation: Sustaining cooperation in China and Europe JOURNAL OF COMPARATIVE ECONOMICS Greif, A., Tabellini, G. 2017; 45 (1): 1-35

    View details for DOI 10.1016/j.jce.2016.12.003

    View details for Web of Science ID 000397554200002

  • Social Organizations, Violence, and Modern Growth AMERICAN ECONOMIC REVIEW Greif, A., Iyigun, M. 2013; 103 (3): 534-538

    View details for DOI 10.1257/aer.103.3.534

    View details for Web of Science ID 000322877000092

  • Social Organizations, Risk-Sharing Institutions and Industrialization American Economic Review Greif , A., Iygun, M., Sasson , D. 2013
  • Institutions: Rules or Equilibria Political Economy of Institutions, Democracy and Voting Greif , A., Kingston , C. Springer . 2011: 13–44
  • A theory of moral persistence: Crypto-morality and political legitimacy JOURNAL OF COMPARATIVE ECONOMICS Greif, A., Tadelis, S. 2010; 38 (3): 229-244

    View details for DOI 10.1016/j.jce.2010.07.005

    View details for Web of Science ID 000282395400002

  • Cultural and Institutional Bifurcation: China and Europe Compared 122nd Annual Meeting of the American-Economics-Association Greif, A., Tabellini, G. AMER ECONOMIC ASSOC. 2010: 135–40

    View details for DOI 10.1257/aer.100.2.135

    View details for Web of Science ID 000278389300028

  • The administrative foundations of self-enforcing constitutions 120th Annual Meeting of the American-Economic-Association Gonzalez de Lara, Y., Greif, A., Jha, S. AMER ECONOMIC ASSOC. 2008: 105–9

    View details for DOI 10.1257/aer.98.2.105

    View details for Web of Science ID 000256370300017

  • The Impact of Administrative Power on Political and Economic Developments: Toward a Political Economy of Implementation Institutions and Economic Performance Greif , A. Harvard University Press . 2008
  • Institutions and Economic Performance Greif, A. Harvard University Press. 2008
  • Administrative Foundations of Self-Enforcing Constitutions, The American Economic Review Greif, A., de Lara, Y., Jha, S. 2008; 98,2: 105-109
  • Toward Political Economy of Implementation: The Impact of Administrative Power on Institutional and Economic Developments Institutions and Growth Greif, A. Harvard University Press . 2008
  • Family structure, institutions, and growth: The origins and implications of western corporations 118th Annual Meeting of the American-Economic-Association Greif, A. AMER ECONOMIC ASSOC. 2006: 308–12

    View details for Web of Science ID 000237855200061

  • History lessons - The birth of impersonal exchange: The community responsibility system and impartial justice JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC PERSPECTIVES Greif, A. 2006; 20 (2): 221-236

    View details for Web of Science ID 000238582600011

  • A theory of endogenous institutional change AMERICAN POLITICAL SCIENCE REVIEW Greif, A., Laitin, D. D. 2004; 98 (4): 633-652

    View details for Web of Science ID 000225752200007

  • Organizing violence JOURNAL OF CONFLICT RESOLUTION Bates, R., Greif, A., Singh, S. 2002; 46 (5): 599-628

    View details for Web of Science ID 000177980900001

  • The analytic narrative project AMERICAN POLITICAL SCIENCE REVIEW BATES, R. H., Greif, A., Levi, M., Rosenthal, J. L., Weingast, B. R. 2000; 94 (3): 696-702

    View details for Web of Science ID 000088910600014

  • Game theory and historical institutional analysis: Self-enforcing, non-market institutions during the late medieval period ANNALES-HISTOIRE SCIENCES SOCIALES Greif, A. 1998; 53 (3): 597-?

    View details for Web of Science ID 000075068200006

  • Historical and comparative institutional analysis 110th Annual Meeting of the American-Economic-Association Greif, A. AMER ECONOMIC ASSOC. 1998: 80–84

    View details for Web of Science ID 000073658200016

  • Cliometrics after 40 years 109th Meeting of the American-Economic-Association Greif, A. AMER ECONOMIC ASSOC. 1997: 400–403

    View details for Web of Science ID A1997XB09100082

  • Contracting, enforcement, and efficiency: Economics beyond the law 8th Annual World Bank Conference on Development Economics Greif, A. WORLD BANK. 1997: 239–278

    View details for Web of Science ID A1997BH19W00009

  • Political organizations, social structure, and institutional success: Reflections from Genoa and Venice during the commercial revolution JOURNAL OF INSTITUTIONAL AND THEORETICAL ECONOMICS-ZEITSCHRIFT FUR DIE GESAMTE STAATSWISSENSCHAFT Greif, A. 1995; 151 (4): 734-740

    View details for Web of Science ID A1995TW58400012

  • CULTURAL BELIEFS AND THE ORGANIZATION OF SOCIETY - A HISTORICAL AND THEORETICAL REFLECTION ON COLLECTIVIST AND INDIVIDUALIST SOCIETIES JOURNAL OF POLITICAL ECONOMY Greif, A. 1994; 102 (5): 912-950

    View details for Web of Science ID A1994PW00800003

  • COORDINATION, COMMITMENT, AND ENFORCEMENT - THE CASE OF THE MERCHANT GUILD JOURNAL OF POLITICAL ECONOMY Greif, A., Milgrom, P., Weingast, B. R. 1994; 102 (4): 745-776

    View details for Web of Science ID A1994PG75900005

  • ON THE POLITICAL FOUNDATIONS OF THE LATE-MEDIEVAL COMMERCIAL REVOLUTION - GENOA DURING THE 12TH AND 13TH CENTURIES JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC HISTORY Greif, A. 1994; 54 (2): 271-287

    View details for Web of Science ID A1994NR33700002

  • CONTRACT ENFORCEABILITY AND ECONOMIC INSTITUTIONS IN EARLY TRADE - THE MAGHRIBI TRADERS COALITION AMERICAN ECONOMIC REVIEW Greif, A. 1993; 83 (3): 525-548

    View details for Web of Science ID A1993LJ37000013

  • INSTITUTIONS AND INTERNATIONAL-TRADE - LESSONS FROM THE COMMERCIAL REVOLUTION 104TH ANNUAL MEETING OF THE AMERICAN ECONOMIC ASSOC Greif, A. AMER ECONOMIC ASSOC. 1992: 128–33

    View details for Web of Science ID A1992HW14900023

  • REPUTATION AND COALITIONS IN MEDIEVAL TRADE - EVIDENCE ON THE MAGHRIBI TRADERS JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC HISTORY Greif, A. 1989; 49 (4): 857-882

    View details for Web of Science ID A1989CE05800003

  • The Economic History of China: From Antiquity to the Nineteenth Century (Book Review) HARVARD JOURNAL OF ASIATIC STUDIES Book Review Authored by: Chen, Y., Greif, A. 2018; 78 (2): 576–85

    View details for Web of Science ID 000478858600013

  • The Maghribi traders: a reappraisal? ECONOMIC HISTORY REVIEW Greif, A. 2012; 65 (2): 445-469

    View details for DOI 10.1111/j.1468-0289.2012.00645.x

    View details for Web of Science ID 000303046300002

  • The curious commentary on the citation practices of Avner Greif PUBLIC CHOICE Greif, A. 2009; 141 (3-4): 273-275

    View details for DOI 10.1007/s11127-009-9512-1

    View details for Web of Science ID 000271088500001

  • Qu'est ce que l’analyse institutionnelle Tracés, French Journal of Social Sciences Greif , A. 2009
  • Institutions and the Path to the Modern Economy: Lessons from Medieval Trade Greif, A. Cambridge University Press. 2006
  • Institutions and impersonal exchange: From communal to individual responsibility 19th International Seminar on the New Institutional Economics Greif, A. J C B MOHR. 2002: 168–204

    View details for Web of Science ID 000175076300017

  • Analytic Narratives Greif , A., Bates, B., Levi , M., Rosenthal , J., Weingast , B. Princeton University Press . 1998