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Authors : 1. Andrei I. Volynskii,
Researcher
Institute of Economics of the Russian Academy of Sciences
Mesolevel in economic research: necessity or a future price for Ockham’s razor?
Objective: to consider the feasibility of partitioning the meso-level in economic analysis alongside with the classical microand macro-levels.
Methods: qualitative methods, discourse analysis, comparative analysis, generalization.
Results: it is shown that the idea of partitioning the meso-level in economic research is from the very beginning associated with the evolutionary and institutional direction of economic research. It is established that, despite the ignoring of mesoeconomics by the leading economic trends, this concept is being applied in the economic literature for almost half a century. Based on the analysis of various economic studies, the author formulates an answer to the question about the need to partition the level of meso-economics. The meso-level is understood by the author as an ontological space for the rules formation and institutionalization. The introduction of the meso-level concept in the theory of institutional reforms can be justified by the need to develop the latter. A critical issue in the theory of institutional reforms is the problem of implementing reforms in the established institutional environment. We believe that the main processes of distortion of the implemented norms that contribute to the formation of inefficient institutional states unfold precisely at the theoretical meso-level. Understanding these relationships can lead to more effective strategies that take into account the risks of meso-economics.
Scientific novelty: the article is one of the first to raise the question of feasibility of introducing the meso-level concept into economic analysis from the viewpoint of the theory of reforms.
Practical significance: the results obtained by the author are useful for further development of meso-economic theory, as well as for the formation of the theory of reforms.
Keywords :
Economic theory; Institutional design; Economic reforms; Economic policy; Meso-economics; Meso-level; Meso-institutes
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Citation :
Volynskii A. I. Mesolevel in economic research: necessity or a future price for Ockham’s razor?, Actual Problems of Economics and Law, 2020, Vol. 14, No. 4, pp. 667–682 (in Russ.). DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.21202/1993-047X.14.2020.4.667-682
Type of article : The scientific article
Date of receipt of the article :
10.09.2020
Date of adoption of the print :
12.10.2020
Date of online accommodation :
25.12.2020
